By Ammar Muhammad Rajab On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, a vast assembly convened in Abuja to greet Sheikh Zakzaky upon his return from a m...
By Ammar Muhammad Rajab
On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, a vast assembly convened in Abuja to greet Sheikh Zakzaky upon his return from a medical journey in Iran. Hundreds of thousands of adherents of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria flooded the streets of Abuja to extend their welcome to Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky.
After a 130-day medical journey in Iran, the cleric and his wife, Malama Zeenah, returned, having received crucial medical care for injuries inflicted during the Zaria massacre in December 2015.
Following a protracted struggle with Nigerian authorities during President Muhammadu Buhari's regime to regain their travel documents, Sheikh Zakzaky, accompanied by his wife, finally arrived in Iran for medical treatment on October 14, 2023.
People filled the Moshood Abiola Stadium Abuja at 7 am on Wednesday waiting for the religious leader's arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport around 1:30 pm. From the airport where he was received by some family members and supporters, the motorcade of the cleric consisting of three black SUVs and a bus, proceeded to the national stadium.
At the Abuja City gate, crowds gathered, holding banners and flags, eagerly welcoming the cleric who tragically lost six biological sons and over 1000 followers during a three-day military crackdown on his residence, schools, and worship centres in Zaria, Kaduna state, in 2015.
Wednesday marked the initial public gathering where the Islamic scholar directly engaged with a massive assembly of supporters in the past two and a half years following his discharge and acquittal by a high court in Kaduna.
During his address, Sheikh Zakzaky expressed remorse for the delay in his flight's arrival, which was originally scheduled for a 7 a.m. landing in Abuja. He also recounted his experiences during the medical journey and extended gratitude to the supporters for their unwavering commitment and resilience amidst and subsequent to the Zaria massacre.
According to a report from DAILY STRUGGLE Newspaper, the Sheikh and his wife landed in Tehran on October 14th of the previous year, where they were warmly welcomed by numerous well-wishers.
The couple’s visit comes after a protracted tussle with the Nigerian authorities under Buhari to recover travel documents that were seized from them when they were arrested following the Zaria massacre in 2015.
Upon their arrival in the capital, Sheikh Zakzaky had an audience with Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, before proceeding to the sacred city of Mashhad for medical treatment.
During their stay, Sheikh Zakzaky was conferred an honorary doctorate degree by the University of Tehran and received commendations from the clerical establishments of Qom and Mashhad.
Additionally, he participated in a Palestine international awakening conference, attended by Muslim clerics from various nations and denominations, including Nigeria's Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
After their release from unlawful detention in July 2021, the couple has been barred from traveling abroad by President Buhari's administration, which has withheld their passports. Despite pursuing legal avenues to regain their passports, the couple encountered delays orchestrated by the government. In January 2022, IHRC appealed to the UN, urging the organization to intervene in the matter.
In October of the previous year, under the new administration of President Bola Tinubu, their travel documents were restored, allowing them to seek medical treatment.
Sheikh Zakzaky suffers from lead poisoning, a consequence of sustaining four gunshot wounds during the 2015 massacre of members and supporters of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria by the country's armed forces. The toxicity is attributed to shrapnel from bullets that remains embedded in his body. Additionally, the sheikh has lost vision in one eye, partial use of one arm, and has endured multiple strokes.
His wife, Malama Zeenah, also faces severe health challenges, including high blood pressure and impaired mobility due to a bullet lodged near her spine, which limits her ability to walk.
The 2015 Zaria massacre resulted in the loss of over 1000 lives among supporters of the Islamic Movement. Despite the magnitude of the casualties, no official has been prosecuted or tried for the killings.
The International Criminal Court is conducting a preliminary investigation into the massacre, according to the IHRC.
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