Attempts to secure the release of imprisoned Nigerian Muslim cleric Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky have suffered a fresh setback with the adjournment of a court hearing that was due to decide whether the ailing leader of the African country’s Islamic movement should be freed to receive urgent medical treatment.
Sheikh Zakzaky was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, but the court in the northern city of Kaduna adjourned the bail hearing until August 5.
Femi Falana, Zakzaky’s lawyer, said eight medical reports attached to the bail application showed that Zakazy needed urgent medical attention in Egypt.
“Doctors have confirmed that he has lost an eye and the second one may be lost on account of advanced glaucoma. Secondly, pellets in his body have not been removed,” said Falana, adding that the pellets – shrapnel from the 2015 clash – were causing lead poisoning, having been in his body for four years.
Supporters and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) — which Sheikh Zakzaky heads — say the adjournment is a deliberate ploy to drag out proceedings so that the ailing sheikh’s condition deteriorates to the point of no return. – Press TV.
