Kaduna State High Court on Wednesday set free the embattled leader of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria,Sheikh Ibraheem El- Zakzaky and his wife.
A judge of the Kaduna State High Court, Justice Gideon Kurada acquitted and discharged Sheikh Ibraheem El- Zakzaky and his wife of eight court charge levelled against them by Kaduna State government.
Sheikh Ibraheem El- Zakzaky and his wife have been held in custody since 2015 after a conveyor of former chief of Army Staff, Lt General Yusuf Buratai had confrontation with the movement in Zaria.
The duo have since them be on trial for over four years on an eight-count charge of alleged culpable homicide, disruption of public peace and unlawful Assembly.
At a certain point , El-Zakzaky and his wife were moved to Abuja. But a Federal High Court in Abuja upheld his application for breaches of his fundamental human rights.
The then judge Gabriel Kolawole who is now a justice of Court of Appeal set him free and ordered that the federal government should provide a house for him in any part of Kaduna state of his choice as his house has been demolished.
But the federal authorities argued that they will appeal the judgement and El-Zakzaky and his wife are facing trial in Kaduna state.
Ruling on their ‘no case ‘ submission application that lasted over eight hours .the trial court judge , Justice Gideon Kurada agreed with the defendants that the prosecution has not made out a prima facie case against them.
The judge said after a thorough review of evidence of the prosecution witnesses it was clear that prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.
The duo have been standing trial for over four years on an eight-count charge of alleged culpable homicide, disruption of public peace and unlawful Assembly among others levelled against them by the Kaduna State Government.
The defendants were brought to court on Wednesday morning by officials of the Nigerian Correctional service amidst tight security.
Their lead counsel and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, had on July 1, argued that all the 15 witnesses presented by the prosecution counsel were unable to establish any connection between the alleged crimes of Sheikh El-Zakzaky and his wife.
Falana then prayed the court to rule in favour of his clients and dismiss the charges levelled against them as there was no criminal case that has been established against them so far by the Kaduna State Government.