The court frowned at the continued disobedience of its order to release El-Zakzaky and others by the SSS, IG and the AG, threatening to invoke the Contempt of Court order and commit them to prison.
The court said unless the FG agents obeyed its direction contained in the order of the Federal High Court of Justice delivered on 2 December, 2016, which ordered the release of El-Zakzaky and Ibraheem within 40 days, they would be guilty of contempt of court and would be liable to be committed to prison.
“This court has been informed that even as at today, Friday, 20th January 2017, you are yet to comply with the lawful order of this honourable court by refusing to release the following persons, namely: Sheikh Zakzaky and Mallam Zeenah Ibraheem in your custody.
“You are hereby directed to comply with the court order forthwith or you will be guilty of contempt of court,” the court said.
The prominent cleric and his wife were taken into custody on December 14, 2115, after deadly clashes between the supporters of the IMN movement and Nigerian troops. Nearly 350 members of the Shia movement were killed in the clashes. The sheikh was brutally injured and his house was reportedly destroyed by the army in the incident.
The judge said he had given 45 days for authorities to provide new accommodation for the Zakzaky family. The accommodation is to be in the town of Zaria, Kaduna state, where the family were detained, or in other parts of the state or alternatively any other part of northern Nigeria. Kolawole said the State Security Service would pay each of Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife $78,984 in compensation for the violation of their rights by being held in unlawful custody for nearly a year.
Nearly 100 IMN supporters were killed when Nigerian forces fired live rounds and tear gas at mourners during a peaceful march ahead of the Arbaeen mourning rituals, which mark 40 days after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam. Authorities also destroyed a number of buildings belonging to the IMN. he Nigerian government has stepped up its crackdown on the IMN since the December 2015 deadly incident.
