Shiite leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-zakzaky and wife arraigned in court

The leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheik Ibrahim El-zakzaky who has been in detention since 2015 was arraigned before the Kaduna High Court on Tuesday along with his wife.

The leader of Shiites and his wife are being arraigned on eight counts of alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, disturbance of public peace, among other allegations. They were brought to the court from Abuja, the nation’s capital in two black SUVs amidst tight security.

At the commencement of the hearing, the defence counsel, Maxwell Kyon, made an oral application for the couple on grounds that they had been in detention for over two years without trial.  

Justice Kurada, however, refused the oral application made by Mr Kyon and told him to rather file a written application which will be heard before or on the next adjourned date. Consequently, he adjourned the case till June 21, 2018.  El-zakzaky and his wife have been held in prison without trial since his arrest by the Nigerian government in December 2015.  

While his followers regularly take to the streets to protest his prolonged detention, Tuesday’s arraignment sparked a fresh protest as the members blocked the popular Ahmadu Bello way and other major roads in the state capital to demand his release.