Court Orders FG to Release El Zalzaky Within 45 Days

•  Awards N50m damages to Zalzaky and wife
•  Warns that continued detention of IMN leader could result in another Boko Haram

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the unconditional release of detained leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheik Ibrahim El Zakyzaky, within 45 days from this Friday.

The court also awarded N25m damages each in favour of Zakyzaky and his wife against the Federal Government.

Trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, in a judgement delivered on the suit filed by Mr Femi Falana, SAN, for the enforcement of the rights of Zakyzaky and his wife, declared the continued detention of the Shiites leader as unconstitutional.

The Shiite leader had been in detention since December 2015.

The judge also ordered the FG to build a decent accommodation that the applicant and his family would settle into at the expiration of the 45 days to their release.

The accommodation should be anywhere in Kaduna or within the north where the IMN has its abode.

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