A High Court in Kaduna, on Monday ordered the Correctional Center, to allow the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zinat full access to medical services before taking their plea on April 23.
The court presided by Justice Gideon Kurada, gave the order, after the Controller of the Correctional Centre, Kaduna, appeared before the Court at 12:00 noon on Monday as ordered.
Kurada had earlier, ordered the Controller to appear to explain why he refused to allow physicians to the two defendants access to them in the facility as directed by the court on Feb 6.
Justice Kurada, the trial judge, at the resumed hearing of the case on Feb. 6, adjourned the case Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 for the defendants to appear in court and take their plea.
Femi Falana, SAN, had on Feb 6 said the defendants were not in court because “Zinat, the second defendant and wife of El-Zakzaky was ill, therefore my clients were not in court.”
The IMN leader and his wife Zinat are standing trial on allegations of culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of the public peace, among other charges.
Justice Kurada had granted the defendants’ application to allow them access to their personal physicians to enable them to appear in court and take their plea at the next adjournment date of Feb 24 and Feb 25.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, Marshall Abubakar, also counsel to the defendants told the court that the physicians were denied access to his clients as the court had directed.
Even though Zinat was in court, however, Abubakar requested that the court invite the controller to give the reason for disobeying the court order.
The request was granted and the case was stood down to allow the controller to appear before the trial judge at 12:00 noon.
Abubakar told newsmen at the resumed hearing at 12:00 on Monday, the controller of the centre appeared in court and gave reasons for refusing to allow the physicians access to his clients.
He said the court had renewed the order to the centre to allow the two defendants full access to all necessary services they need for them to be fit to appear and take their plea in the next adjourned date.
On his part, the Mr Dari Bayero, lead prosecution in the suit said the court had allowed the two defendants full access to medical services so that there will be no excuses when they come to take their plea on April 23 and April 24.
Bayero said the prosecution is ready with its witnesses to prosecute the case in the court on that day.
