The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has on 28th August 2019 called for dialogue in handling the controversial issue surrounding the prolonged detention of the Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheik Ibrahim Yakubu El Zakzaky.
The call came as a reaction to the sudden return of El-Zak-Zaky a few days after his medical trip to India.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission Tony Ojkwu Esq. advised that, the IMN Leader’s right to health and medical treatment should not be compromised under any circumstances.
Ojkwu commended the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS) for granting the IMN Leader the leave for medical tourism in India however, regretted that the whole arrangement was botched over a disagreement between El-Zak-Zaky, Federal Government and the Indian authorities.
He called on both parties to embrace conflict resolution mechanism in resolving the impasse.
The Executive secretary also counselled IMN members to tow the part of peace and desist from the use of violent protest and hate speeches as being witnessed in the past in expressing their grievances.
This, according to him, will aggravate the situation and provoke a breakdown of law and order in the country.
He further reiterated the need for Security Agencies to ensure adequate protection of Nigerians and grant them the constitutional right to peaceful protest without hindrance.
It can be recalled that El-Zak-Zaky's issue has to be perennial but the recent one was a clash on 12th December 2014 between the convoy of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai with IMN members who blocked a high way in Zaria, Kaduna state.
Since then, El-Zak-Zaky has to be on trial while his IMN fellows continue to wreak havoc on innocent citizens through their violent protests, especially in FCT, Abuja.
