Boss-Gida-Mustapha SGF
FG Reacts
Boss-Gida-Mustapha SGF
FG Reacts to Zakzaky’s Outburst in India
The Court on 5th August, 2019 granted Sheikh Ibraheem EL-Zakzaky
leave to travel to India for medical treatment. Consequently, the
Government and its relevant agencies took steps to comply with the
Order.
In line with the Court Order, El-Zakzaky was approved to embark
on the trip with State officials and his choice to be accompanied
by his aides and personal Doctors was not opposed by the
government.
On 12th August, 2019, he and other members of the entourage went
to India via Dubai. It is to be noted that El-Zakzaky particularly
chose Medanta Hospital, India. However, on reaching Dubai,
El-Zakzaky began to display ulterior motives against laid down
procedures.
He requested that his passport be handed over to him but the
State officials would not budge to his pressure. The situation
became worse in India as he refused to subject himself to
preliminary medical checks.
In addition, he demanded free movement and access to visitors of
all kinds as well as requested to be allowed to check into a 5-Star
Hotel instead of being admitted in the hospital. The request was
refused on the ground that he came into the country for medicals
and not as a tourist (more so that his Visa was issued on medical
grounds and not for tourism). He also demanded that Police
protection be withdrawn from him by the Indian authorities.
Against medical ethics and standard practice, he requested to
nominate Doctors of his choice to join the ones tasked by Medanta
Hospital to perform medical treatment on him and his wife. This
created a stalemate, which the Hospital insisted that he would not
dictate to it on the choice of medical personnel to carry the
required medical treatment.
Frustrated by his antics, the Indian authorities have expressed
willingness to return him to Nigeria with immediate effect. This is
on the account that they will not allow him use their country to
internationalize his group’s activities.
Against this background, the Nigerian government wishes to
commend the stand of the Indian Government as well as apologize to
her for the unruly behaviour of El-Zakzaky. Similarly, the
attention of the public and indeed the international community is
hereby drawn to these unfortunate developments.
The government also wishes to use this opportunity to affirm its
readiness to undertake the prosecution of El-Zakzaky through due
process if and when he is returned to the country. On this note,
his foul cry that he is being held in circumstances worse than he
was in Nigeria should be disregarded.
Dcns. Grace Isu Gekpe
Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Information and Culture,
Abuja
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