Armed security men on Tuesday whisked away our illegally detained Leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky from where he has been in detention illegally in Abuja, and brought him to court 4 in Kaduna standing trial for some trumped up charges that include murder. As of now we don’t know in what condition they brought the Sheikh, whom we know suffered stroke in January apart from the gunshot wounds he sustained since the murderous attack on him in December, 2015.
We find this latest attempt to provoke the Islamic Movement as an attempt by the federal government of Buhari to kill our leader, since Allah has spared him his life from the murderous attempt of the Nigerian army in December, 2015. We hereby categorically declare this as unacceptable and the federal government will be held responsible for anything untoward should happen to our revered leader.
We strongly condemn the way the gentlemen of the press were denied access to the court to witness the trial and inform the world what transpired. To hide under the guise of security issues and prevent the world from witnessing the trial is a travesty of justice.
It is a shame that the government that refused to obey a court order freeing our leader in 2016, will now turn round and prosecute him in another court. This smacks off selective respect to courts and judgments.
We believe the trumped up charges on Sheikh Zakzaky is part of the Saudi sponsored agenda to kill Sheikh Zakzaky and destroy the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, as can be adduced from a recent interview the Saudi Crown prince, Muhammad Bin Salman had with Times magazine. Surely money must have exchanged hands on this plot, and we will like the federal agents to disclose what actually transpired and those involved.
We will continue with our protests demanding Sheikh Zakzaky’s freedom on the streets of major cities of Nigeria, Abuja in particular, till when the federal government decided to obey the federal high court’s order releasing our leader and his wife.
We will not be deceived into believing that the federal government has no hand in this latest ploy to kill Sheikh Zakzaky, President Buhari will and must surely be blamed for anything that happen to Sheikh Zakzaky. It is crystal clear to all and sundry that the federal government has no intention of solving the crisis it created when it murdered 1000+ people in Zaria peacefully.
We totally reject this move of presenting our sick leader by force to a court in Kaduna for sundry charges that some people are standing trial for. For now we pray to Allah strengthen our leader and keep him safe, while we face the might of the Nigerian state on the streets.
SIGNED BY
Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello Zaria
Leading Member IMN
………………………………………………
Finally, CCT Clears Justice Ngwuta on Asset Declaration charges
The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT has discharged a Supreme Court judge, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, of charges of non-declaration of assets.
The tribunal chairman, Justice Danladi Umar, and member, William Atedze Agwadza, in their ruling, agreed with the argument of Justice Ngwuta that, as a serving Justice of the Supreme Court, he could not be tried in any court or tribunal, except after he had been subjected to the investigatory and disciplinary processes of the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The CCT, in its decision, also relied on the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the case of Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa., in which the appellate court held, in a December 2017 judgment, that by virtue of Section 158 of the 1999 Constitution, only the NJC was with the powers to deal try judicial officers for any misconduct while in office.
The tribunal held that a judge could not be prosecuted by any court of tribunal until the NJC deals with the allegations against him/he and takes a decision of either dismissing such a judicial officer or compulsorily retiring him or her.
It consequently quashed the charges against Justice Ngwuta and discharged him.
The tribunal had earlier in the year accused the federal government of delaying the trial of Ngwuta when it pointed out that the prosecution had not been diligent in the handling of the case.
According to the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar all the adjournments that the case had suffered since when it was initiated last year had been caused by the prosecution.
The federal government on March 21, 2017, charged Justice Ngwuta on eight counts.
The prosecution accused him of contravening the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Tribunal Act by allegedly failing to declare some of his assets. He was also accused by the prosecution of possessing 28 plots of land, which he allegedly refused to declare to the CCB between June 2, 2011 and July 19, 2016.
It was also alleged that Ngwuta, within the same period engaged in the purchase and sale of rice, palm oil and other related products, while being a justice of the Supreme Court.
The federal government also claimed the judge owns five cars, which he allegedly kept away from the CCB.