A 10-man delegation comprising Sheik Ibraheem Zakzakky and Zeenat family members, Shiites leaders, security operatives on Monday accompanied the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and his wife, Zeenat, to India on medical trip.
Zainab and Hassan Bala, Dr. Rahamat and unnamed operatives flew out on Emirates Commercial airliner through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to India.
The trip has been described as a survivalist move by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for self and country. The administration has been caught in the web of intricate international and political manipulations.
Analysts suggest the President Buhari ignored the terms of release put forth by his political ‘son’ and Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el Rufai; but indeed it was more of a survivalist strategy for country and self, and stave off the use of Nigeria as a battle-ground over the politics of oil.
An analysis of the unfolding situation, gone viral on social media, enumerates the steps that may have led to the unfolding rapprochement:
▪USA set last year Sunday November 4 as the last day that the nations of the world have permission to buy oil from Iran.
▪ Russia, China and India announce that they will continue buying Iranian oil despite US threats.
▪ The US responds that those who buy Iranian crude will be sanctioned and their ships will suffer a naval blockade by the US navy.
▪ Russia, China and India warn the US that if they apply a naval block, they will break the siege with military force against the US transgressing ships.
▪ Iran adds that if they can not export oil nobody in the Persian Gulf will be able to export either because they will close the Strait of Hormuz.
▪ The US warns Iran that if it closes the Strait of Hormuz, it will be opened by naval force.
▪ Iran responds that if any of its units is attacked by the US, it will attack the Persian Gulf fleet.
▪ Interestingly, the global blockade against Iran has just begun.
▪ Be warned anything can happen in the next few days.
▪ So, remain observant because if Iran can not export its 3 million barrels per day, crude oil will rise in price, but if Iran, in retaliation, closes the Strait of Hormuz where 30% of the world’s exported crude crosses, the price can be doubled or tripled.
▪ If Iran blocks the Straight of Hormuz by sinking a couple of its own ships then how will the USA open it by force?
▪ USA is playing in this move, its title of “Single Superpower”. If the play fails, it may lose the title. England, France and Germany are going to join the US to try to subdue China, India, Russia and Iran.
▪ India is so irritated that Prime Minister Modi warned few days ago that anyone who attacks the sovereignty of India will receive a response with “twice as much force”.
▪ On 13 of May 2019, Two Saudi Arabia oil Tankers were attacked off coast of UAE.
▪ 19th of July 2019, Iran seized British Flagged oil Tanker on the strait of Hormuz.
▪ 21st of July 2019, Britain threatened Iran with “robust “ response.
▪ 22nd of July, Iran warned Nigeria Government to release Zakzaky (spiritual leader of IMN SHITTES with HQ in Iran) unconditionally. Or release Zakzaky to Iran.(Iran spared us the consequences of our refusal). Shittes with HQ in Iran have gone violent in Nigeria over the illegal detention of Zakzaky by the FG.
▪ 24th July Britain, Saudi, others warned FG not to dare Iran in this IMN Zakzaky issues. If Iran attacked us simultaneously over their issues with US, Iran would bury Nigeria to prove a point to Nigerian Sunis Saudi and Britain, Nigeria’s former Colonial masters. That Iran is already battling with world powers and would find Nigeria an scapegoat and an easy target for needless attacks and Southern Nigeria would pull out over Sunnis (Saudi ) and Shittes (Iran) war in Nigeria.
▪ 25th July, Shittes introduced night protest in addition to daily morning and afternoon protests.
▪ 27th July, Sheik Gumi warned that this Sunnis and Shittes war would divide Nigeria and south would pull out.
▪ FG struck a secret deal to release Zakzaky. Shittes asked to stop all forms of protests. IMN announced ceasefire. Shittes protests stopped. A sudden date, 5th August, was fixed for the hearing of the bail application of Zakzaky in a Kaduna state High Court (don’t forget the Courts are on vacation), and same Kaduna courts have denied same man bail in the last 24 months).
▪ 5th August, Kaduna High Courts granted Zakzaky bail. DSS announced publicly that it would comply with the court order and release Zakzaky to a certain named Indian Hospital.
▪ On India, SEE Nos 4 AND 13 above. India and Iran are on one league in this new world Order. Will India release Zakzaky to Nigeria after his treatment in line with the bail condition? Or will India release Zakzaky and wife to Iran their new ally after their treatment, and in line with Iranian PM’s demand? What would FG do when Zakzaky is released to Iran?
As the drama unfolded showing that
President Buhari, chose the option of intelligence agencies to abide strictly by the order Kaduna State High Court, and turn a blind eye to the card being played by the state government.
The security agencies leaned heavily on the diplomatic card played by Iran, and impressed on the presidency to ignore El-Rufai’s antics.
El-Zakzaky’s lawyer, Mr Femi Falana SAN, applauded the Federal Government for opting to comply with the court ordr.
Falana described the conditions as totally alien to the penal code and the administration of criminal justice law because the agreement is not brought under any substantive or adjectival law, stressing that an agreement cannot vary or modify the order of a competent court.
He said since the DSS, in whose custody El-Zakzaky was, announced on behalf of the Federal Government that the court order would be obeyed, the so-called terms of “agreements” of Governor Nasir el-Rufai-led Kaduna State government should be consigned to the dustbin of history and ignored owing to its height of provocative contempt.
Meanwhile, media reports quoted sources as saying as saying that the IMN leader opted to pay his and wife’s own bills.
The media quoted a top source thus: “The government decided to allow four leaders/ members of the Shiite to follow El-Zakzaky to demonstrate its commitment to a fair and transparent medical procedure.
“The government did not want to leave any gap for misrepresentation of the medical treatment. All these delegates will be part of the process.
“The government felt there was need to build confidence between the two sides. This is a sensitive trip.”
The source added: “The conditions set by the court were acceptable to both parties and the Federal Government deliberately mitigated further legal hurdles at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court to show good faith.
“Security reports also indicated that there was no basis for dragging the legal issues on the conditions further. The agencies advised against aggravating the situation.”
On its part, the IMN in a statement through the Chairman of the Free Zakzaky Campaign Committee, Abdurrahman Abubakar Yola, gave details of the trip and extenuating circumstances. It reads:“The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife have at last just left Nigeria for India alongside some family members and security operatives.
“This followed the granting of the couple’s application for leave to seek medical attention in New Delhi, India last week by Justice Darius Khobo of Kaduna State High Court.
“In spite of the attempted efforts at frustrating this emergency medical journey by the Kaduna state government, which tried to unilaterally put conditions to the journey even though it lacked such powers, the journey has gone on without hitches.
“This emergency medical journey is consequent on the facts that both the Sheikh and his wife are known to be clearly very ill in detention, sequel to the brutal wounds unjustifiably inflicted on them by the state agents in the name of Nigerian army, the resultant prolonged dehumanising detention in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the obvious poisoning of the Sheikh.
“As a result of all these physical and psychological stress, the Sheikh suffered series of mild strokes and is at the risk of further recurrences.
“At the same time, he lost one eye following the military attack and is at a severe risk of losing his sight completely in the other. He is now found to have more than twenty times the toxic levels of lead poison in his body!
“Similarly, the wife has been under excruciating pains with shrapnel deeply lodged in her body for all these years of inhuman conditions in detention. She now is able to ambulate only with the use of a wheelchair, even to the airport.
“They have been battling ailments that could not be treated in Nigeria, as posited by the foreign medical experts that earlier in the year assessed their health condition. Undoubtedly, both risk losing their lives had the medical journey been further delayed or denied.
“We wish to use this opportunity to thank all people of conscience, particularly the team of lawyers being led by Femi Falana, SAN, some very senior citizens, diplomats, human rights activists and organisations, journalists and the general public who doggedly stood by us in the campaign for justice for the victims of Zaria genocide. Thank you and God bless.”