The Islamic Human Rights Commission, IHRC, confirmed that the Nigerian Government has finally allowed a team of foreign doctors to examine the health conditions of Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah El-Zakzaky.

“IHRC acknowledges the authorities’ change of position in making this possible and hopes this heralds a full and just resolution of the situation,” IHRC said on Thursday.

The group said the delegation of expert doctors and consultants led by IHRC “have completed an initial investigation of Sheikh Zakzaky and Mallima Zeenah.”

In March, Kaduna State High Court ordered that El Zakzaky should be allowed by the government to bring doctors of his choice to examine him in the presence of doctors from the government.

El-Zakzaky, leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, is standing trial alongside his wife over allegations of culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disruption of the public peace, among others.

He has been detained since December 2015 after soldiers clamped down on his supporters killing at least 347 of them.

The army accused them of mounting a blockade to hinder the army chief, Tukur Buratai, from passing.

The government also ignored a court ruling that ordered that he be released and paid compensation alongside his detained wife, Zeenah.

El-Zakzaky’s lawyer, Femi Falana, had prayed the court to give a mandatory order for his client and his wife to be flown abroad.

Falana informed the court that this was to enable them to receive proper medical attention since the Federal Government has glaringly failed to cure them of the injuries they sustained during the alleged army’s onslaught on their residence in December 2015.

He argued that El-Zakzaky had in January 2018 suffered stroke in detention and since the reported attack by the soldiers three years ago, he has not been allowed to optimally access good healthcare. (Guardian)

•Sheikh El-Zakzaky and wife, Zeenah