The Federal Government has alleged that the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, tried to seek asylum while in India for medical treatment.
The government said this on Friday in a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Grace Gekpe.
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El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah, returned to the country around noon on Friday and landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The Federal Government said El-Zakzaky exhibited acts of misconduct which necessitated his repatriation.
“With total disrespect and complete loss of decorum for international procedures while in India, he initiated contacts with a team of lawyers led by Ali Zia Kabir Chaudary and Gunjan Singh in that country,” the statement began.
“He also contacted some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), such as the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and other Shiite groups. His aim was to seek asylum and eventually relocate to another country.
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“It is important to note that if an Indian court had granted El-zakzaky asylum or leave to travel to another country, it would have violated the Nigerian court order that granted him permission to travel for medical treatment.
“However, he used the opportunity of being in India to attempt to internationalise his cause by mobilising the Rights groups. Even most unfortunate and rather embarrassing as earlier stated, was his quest to be relocated to a 5-Star hotel to receive visitors instead of being admitted in the hospital as a sick person he claimed to be.
“In spite of his misconduct, El-zakzaky’s spouse went further to antagonize the Indian and Nigerian security agents and accused the latter of killing her children. These acts were aimed at winning international sympathy as well as disparaging the Nigerian Government. Having subordinated the quest for medical treatment to other ulterior motives, it became obvious that El-zakzaky was focused on realising some sinister motives thus the decision to return him to Nigeria,” the statement said.
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El-Zakzaky and wife are now being held by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The IMN says the Federal Government tried to kill its leader in India.
