Court clears IMN leader, El-Zakzaky, and wife of all charges

A Kaduna state high court has freed Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and his wife, Zeenat.

El-Zakzaky and his wife were charged before the court of culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace by the Kaduna state government.

The duo had been in detention since December 2015 following clashes between IMN members and soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna state. The prosecution had closed its case after calling 15 witnesses.

Femi Falana, lead counsel to the defendants, had on July 1, argued that all the 15 witnesses presented by the prosecution failed to establish any connection between the alleged crimes and his clients.

Justice Gideon Kurada in his ruling that lasted for over 8 hours, upheld the no-case submission filed by Zakzaky and his wife and freed them of all charges.