The embattled leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat have arrived Abuja, Nigeria from India where they had gone for medical treatment three days ago.
Their hasty return to the country, according to the spokesman of the IMN, Ibrahim Musa, followed their inability to resolve the impasse that ensued in their treatment with doctors at Medanta hospital, New Delhi, India.
In a short statement sent to channels TV Musa said El-Zakzaky and his wife left India at about 4:30am local time via Emirates Airline.
The IMN spokesman claimed that the Nigerian Government’s interference and scuttling of the whole process rather than supervision, as ordered by the Kaduna State High Court, was the direct cause of the impasse between the Shiite leader and the Indian medical doctors.
El-Zakzaky and his wife had both left Nigeria for New Delhi on Monday, one week after the court granted them permission to travel to India for medical treatment.
Barely one day after their arrival at the hospital, the trip turned controversial as the IMN leader and the Shiite group accused the Nigerian government of denying him access to the doctor with whom they had an arrangement.
In its reacting, the government accused the Shiite leader of becoming unruly at the hospital in New Delhi and apologised to the Indian authorities.
It said the allegations were “foul cry”, adding that claims El-Zakzaky was held in circumstances worse than he was in Nigeria should be disregarded.
The Sheikh and his wife are however still in custody of State officials.