El-Zakzaky’s Case No Longer Ours – Presidency

BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Presidency on Friday declared that as far as the nation’s Ministry of Justice is concerned, the case involving the detained leader of Shiite Movement, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzakky is no longer within the domain of the Federal Government.

It specifically said that the Federal Government no more has hands in the El-Zakzakky matter and to that extent, the Federal Government can be said to be clear of any alleged violations of court orders as being trumpeted everyday.

The Presidency however said that the Buhari-led administration is determined to enforce the decision of the court clearly issued.

It further said that the Buhari administration has absolutely no hand in the on-going court case and the courts are free to determine the bail request and the final outcome.

The Presidency which stated these in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, specifically said that the issue of El-ZakZaky is before the court in Kaduna and therefore urged his supporters to focus on his on-going trial instead of causing daily damages, disruptions and public nuisance in Abuja.

The Presidency appealed to El-Zakzaky-led Shiite members to desist from needless violent street protests and await the decision of the court in Kaduna where their leader is currently being tried.

The statement said that it is wrong to be in court and resort to violence at the same time in order to get justice for anybody accused.

Shehu noted that the destruction of public property in the name of protest is not within the right of the group of Shiite members and no government anywhere would have tolerated a situation where any group would take over public roads in cities as they have done in Abuja and interfere with the rights of other citizens who are prevented from reaching their destinations.

Shehu further said; “We imagine a situation where families are taking their loved ones to hospital for emergency treatment and they are held up needlessly by the protesters. No government anywhere in the world would turn a blind eye to this unlawful behavior.

“These rallies and street dances ostensibly to openly insult the President and other leaders, threatening bloodshed will lead nowhere because President Buhari will not ask the country’s judiciary to abandon due process and set a suspect free.

“The mentality that you are above the law and that your own rights are superior to other people’s rights is unacceptable.

“You can’t be provoking other citizens by interfering with their own rights on public roads and disrupting their businesses and call it democratic freedom. In democratic traditions, their rights end where the rights of others begin.

“Law abiding citizens must avoid deliberate lawlessness. It is not within the rights of any group to enter protected public institutions such as the National Assembly by force to attack police and destroy public and private property.

“It is always advisable to embrace dialogue and eschew violence in all our actions so that we can continue to live together in peace.

“We therefore appeal to the Shiite group to stop deliberate provocations that result in violence and fatalities and allow the trial of El-ZakZaky to take its course,” the spokesman of the president said.