El-Zakzaky, Wife Reject Indian Hospital’s Services, Back In Nigeria
BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – Following the stalemate over their medical treatment and routines in India, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Hajiya Zeenat, were expected back in Nigeria on Thursday night.
According to reports, the couple and their entourage, earlier in the day, left the Madenta Hospital, New Delhi, India, where they were referred for treatment following a Kaduna State High Court order granting them leave on medical grounds.
However, controversy arose when the Shiite leader rejected the doctors assigned to treat him at the Medanta hospital in New Delhi, citing threats to life and poor condition of facilities within the hospital.
The IMN leader, his wife and entourage reportedly flew out of New Delhi in a commercial airline at 5pm (Nigerian time) yesterday, the IMN said in a statement released to the media.
Blaming the Federal Government’s interference for the deadlock that resulted in the ailing couple’s decision to return home from India, insiders within the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), that negotiated the Indian medical treatment, regretted that things did not go as planned.
This is as Sheikh El-Zakzakky personally said the prevailing conditions and inability of parties concerned to resolve the bottlenecks surrounding the Indian hospital’s services, informed his decision to abort the medical treatment and return to Nigeria.
Confirming the development, President of IMN Media Forum, Ibrahim Musa, said: “Following lack of breakthrough in the impasse that ensued in the treatment in New Delhi of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, it is now confirmed that the Sheikh is on his way back to Abuja, Nigeria.
The statement by Musa further stated thus: “In a video message sent through his office, the Sheikh said it was decided that they will be taken to the airport to be flown back to Nigeria. He has left Delhi by 17:00 Nigerian time.
“He prayed that may that be the best option in the circumstances. The Nigerian government’s interference and scuttling of the whole process rather than supervision as ordered by the court is the direct cause of the impasse. The government never wanted the medical leave in the first place, and did whatever to stop it by all means possible.”
El-Zakzaky, his wife and some family members, arrived in India on Tuesday morning with security operatives and government officials in their entourage.
After medical examination, doctors diagnosed that El-Zakzaky is suffering about eight ailments, including glaucoma, symptoms of Ischemic heart disease, which could lead to myocardial infractions, severe cervical spondylosis, resulting in nerve root compression and causing insomnia, among other ailments.
By the medical reports, the Sheikh also has pellets lodged in his body since the 2015 clash with soldiers in Zaria. These pellets are said to be causing lead poisoning in his blood.
But disagreeing with the IMN claims that its leader was being treated like a criminal in India, the Federal Government on Wednesday accused El-Zakzaky of acting against laid down procedures during a stopover in Dubai, en route New Delhi.
In a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mrs. Grace Isu-Gekpe, the government said the IMN leader demanded free movement and access to visitors of all kinds on arrival at the hospital.
Mrs Isu-Gekpe also alleged that the IMN leader requested to be allowed to check into a five-star hotel instead of being admitted in the hospital as ordered by the court.- Additional agency reports
