Hawzah News Agency (Kaduna, Nigeria) - Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, who has been fighting for serious health problems, was planned to appear before the Kaduna State High Court on Wednesday for a hearing to let him travel to India for medical treatment. After a round of arguments from both sides and despite plaintiff describing Sheikh's deteriorating health condition, the court was adjourned for eleven days. The next hearing is now scheduled for 29th of July.
Over the past few weeks protests have erupted in many countries as a result of a medical report published by a team of doctors led by Islamic Human Rights Commission that found high toxicity levels in the body of ailing Sheikh.
The court proceedings started around 9 AM in the morning where Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky was represented by Advocate Femi Falana San. The session started with the plaintiff expressing the urgency of the matter citing Sheikh’s health condition. The government counsel complained the late submission of the 'bulky' medical report asking for more time, which the judge rejected saying that the claim of the report being bulky was untrue.
After a round of arguments from both sides and despite plaintiff describing Sheikh's deteriorating health condition and stating that Sheikh hadn’t slept for seven consecutive days, the court was adjourned for eleven days. The next hearing is now scheduled for 29th of July.
This delay in judgment comes at a time when Sheikh is in critical health condition and is in need of immediate medical attention.
In an interview published earlier by Zainabia Channel, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Taufeeq Panjwani, one of the members of the medical board that was sent to examine Sheikh, said: 'We recommended the Nigerian government to allow Sheikh to leave Nigeria for medical treatment as the level of lead toxicity in the Sheikh's body is very high.'
The Nigerian authorities may allow Sheikh to travel abroad at a later time, but the simple act of delaying the procedure might cause numerous complications in his health. As per the report by the IHRC medical team, one of Sheikh’s eyes is completely damaged, while the other one only has 20 percent vision left. This might be a result of the tragic incident when his residence was raided by the Nigerian army back in 2015, murdering three of his sons and assaulting him.