Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, , left India for Nigeria, yesterday, three days after embarking on a medical trip to the Asian country.
Spokesman of the movement, Ibrahim Musa, in a statement yesterday, accused the Federal Government of frustrating the treatment of the IMN leader.
The statement read: “Following lack of a breakthrough in the impasse that ensued in the treatment in New Delhi of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, it is now confirmed that the Sheikh is on his way back to Abuja.
“In a video message sent through his office, the Sheikh said it was decided that they will be taken to the airport to be flown back to Nigeria. He has left Delhi by 17:00 Nigerian time. He said that may be the best option in the circumstances.
“The Nigerian government’s interference and scuttling of the whole process, rather than supervision as ordered by the court, is the direct cause of the impasse. The government never wanted the medical leave in the first place, and did whatever to stop it by all means possible.”
The IMN leader had earlier raised the alarm over the situation in India, saying it was worse than what he and his wife experienced in Nigeria.
In an audio tape that went viral on Wednesday, he had said he was being re-detained under heavy security, and expressed the desire to return home.
El-Zakzaky said he was not given access to his preferred doctors, adding that he did not trust those they asked to examine him.
But the Federal government had dismissed his claim, accusing him of not complying with the terms of the Kaduna High Court, which granted him medical leave.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Grace Gekpe, had in a statement on Wednesday, said the IMN leader demanded to have his passport and sought free movement.
She added that El-Zakzaky wanted to receive visitors and also made a request to be checked into a five-star hotel, adding that he behaved so badly that the Indian authorities were willing to return him to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Suhaila, daughter of El-Zakzaky, has said her father was suffering from lead poisoning, which could lead to his death.
Suhaila said the cleric deserved to get proper medical attention.
She said: “I am really worried, especially because of the lead and cadmium poisoning. His doctors say if he gets to a certain level his organs could start failing and that’s really scary because that means he could just die at any moment.”
Suhaila said her father told her that he was unhappy with the heavy presence of security operatives at the Medanta Hospital, New Delhi, where he went for treatment.
