Thousands of Shi'ites Protesters Storm Abuja, Demand El-Zakzaky's Release

Members of the Islam­ic Movement in Nige­ria (IMN) on Wednes­day morning took to the streets of Abuja to press the federal Government to release their de­tained leader, Malam Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife.
El-Zakzaky has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since De­cember 2015, despite a court or­der for his release.
The secret police however de­nied that the wife was under de­tention.

The members, comprising male and female marched in sep­arate columns along Wuse Mar­ket in the Federal Capital Ter­ritory (FCT), chanting songs: “Mr. President, Free Our Lead­er! Obey Court Order!! Where is your Justice?”
The AUTHORITY recalled that El-Zakzaky and his wife were arrested on December 14, 2015, following a clash between mem­bers of his group and the Nigeri­an Army in Zaria, Kaduna State.
During the clash, at least 347 members of the group were re­portedly killed by soldiers for blocking the highway which the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai was passing.
After months in detention without being charged to court, the IMN’s leader approached the court to demand the release of himself along with his wife.
An Abuja High Court head­ed by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on December 2, 2016, ruled that their continued detention was unlawful, since protective custo­dy, which was cited as the excuse by the DSS was unknown to Ni­gerian laws or the National Secu­rity Agencies Act establishing the DSS.
The court therefore ordered the Federal Government to re­lease the detainees within 45 days of the judgement and to pay each of them N50 million as compen­sation.