- Why I’m not comfortable – IMN leader
- He wants to stay in 5-star hotel – Perm Sec Indian govt reacts
The leader of the Shiite group Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky yesterday said he was not comfortable with the kind of treatment he was subjected to at the hospital in India.
But the Federal Government said the IMN leader’s outcry should be disregarded because since arriving in India he refused to subject himself to preliminary medical checks.
Zakzaky, who arrived in Medanta Hospital India on Tuesday for treatment alongside wife Zeenat, spoke in a viral audio clip which multiple sources in the IMN confirmed as “authentic.”
“We realised that they brought us into a situation contrary to what was agreed. Right from home, those holding us agreed that no one will treat us other than doctors of our choice. But here, we understand that the doctors that suggested that we should be brought here have no say. The doctors confirmed that to us.
“We will not allow doctors that we don’t know to treat us. We won’t allow them to touch our bodies. We won’t allow them to achieve by other means what they could not achieve with bullets. What we have seen here is not making us comfortable, we don’t trust the process. They just brought us here and detained us.
“I have been detained for 13 years, but I have never been subjected to this kind of detention, because even the room where I am being kept is manned by gun-wielding policemen. And I am not allowed to move even from a ward to another. Even when I was detained in prison, we were only locked up between 9pm and 7am. And we were allowed to move within the place where we were being detained.
“But not even Kirikiri compares to what we are being subjected to in this place. So I said it will not be right for us to leave one detention facility in Nigeria, only to end up in another in India. I believe the best for us is to return home, since it was agreed that we can go abroad for treatment. Already some other countries including Malaysia, Indonesia and Turkey have offered to treat us. Let’s discuss and agree on where to send us,” the IMN leader said in the audio clip.
Shortly after the circulation of the audio, the IMN re-echoed most of the things said by Zakzaky and accused the Federal Government and some agents of the United States of working to undermine the medical treatment of their leader.
A a statement yesterday by the Secretary General of the Academic Forum of the IMN, Abdullahi Muhammad Musa, the sect alleged that the Nigerian and US officials have not allowed their leader to see his doctors as contained in the court order.
Musa alleged that the Nigerian officials who escorted the couple to the Indian hospital “refused to allow the doctors he requested to treat him and his wife access to them completely.”
“Sheikh Zakzaky himself in an audio clip from the hospital indicated that the security agents are colluding with foreign security agents believed to be working for the interest of American government there by violating the Nigerian Court ruling,” the statement reads.
A statement last night sby the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) said Zakzak y and his wife have been given access to their medical team. “They are still restricted to the hospital premises, but there are negotiations going on to resolve this situation. Everyone’s swift action this morning is deeply appreciated,” it said.
Zakzaky refused preliminary medical checks – FG
But in a statement yesterday the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture Dcns. Grace Isu Gekpe, confirmed that the Indian authorities have expressed willingness to return the IMN leader back to Nigeria with immediate effect for fear of his internationalising his group’s activities in the country.
She said Zakzaky’s cry that he is being held in circumstances worse than he was in Nigeria should be disregarded because since arriving in India he has refused to subject himself to preliminary medical checks.
“It is to be noted that Zakzaky particularly chose Medanta Hospital, India. However, on reaching Dubai, 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 Zakzaky. Similarly, the attention of the public and indeed the international community is hereby drawn to these unfortunate developments,” Gekpe said.
She further noted that government was ready to undertake the prosecution of Zakzaky through due process if and when he is returned to the country adding that “his foul cry that he is being held in circumstances worse than he was in Nigeria should be disregarded.”
We’re not undermining Zakzaky’s medical treatment – India
Meanwhile, the Indian government has refuted reports that it is undermining the medical treatment of Sheikh Zakzaky.
The India High Commission in Abuja said there was “no condition” attached to the pair’s medical request or “ultimatum by India” for Zakzaky to accept treatment or leave the country.
In a series of tweets from its official Twitter handle @india_nigeria, the High Commission assured that medical treatment is provided to consenting patients.
The tweets read, “Please be assured that medical treatment at reputed Indian hospitals is provided to consenting patients, as per medical norms.
“Protocol and safety steps are taken as necessary. There is no condition or ultimatum by India.”
It also denied reports that Indian police and security services are collaborating with Nigerian security services in perpetuating the detention of the pair.
“Such reports are not true. India has always been responsive to humanitarian requests. Medical treatment request was received from both the patient and the Government of Nigeria, and we readily agreed. No other connotation should be attached to the matter,” the High Commission said.
