Featured
Finally, DSS Releases El-Zakzaky For Medical Treatment Abroad
The Department of State Services (DSS), yesterday, said that it has received the order granting Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky leave to travel to India for medical treatment, and has complied with the court order.
The Public Relations Officer of DSS, Mr. Peter Afunanya, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, said that the service was liaising with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the letters of the court order were fully implemented.
Afunanya said the DSS released leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, yesterday, following the order of Kaduna High Court.
He said conformity with the order was in line with the service’s avowed commitment to the rule of law inherent in democracy.
The court had ruled that the cleric and his wife be allowed to travel to India for medical attention.
El-Zakzaky and his wife, who were not in court, have been in detention since 2015, following a bloody clash between members of IMN and the military that left scores of his members dead.
Protests organised by his members to pressure government to release him recently turned bloody, with scores of his members as well as senior police officer and a reporter with Channels Television killed.
Government obtained a court order, which designated the IMN as a terrorist organisation and banned its operations.
At the resumed hearing of the bail application filed by El-Zakzaky’s counsel, Femi Falana, in Kaduna, last Monday, the presiding judge, Justice Dairus Khobo, granted the defence counsel’s request for the defendants to proceed to India to seek medical attention.
The court also ruled that El-Zakzaky and his wife be accompanied on the trip by DSS personnel and officials of the state.
As with all precious arraignments, areas close to where the High Court is situated were cordoned off, with police personnel and those of civil defence corps taking strategic positions, while traffic was diverted on some routes.
Only lawyers were allowed into the court premises.
Addressing journalists outside the court perimeter gate, the lead prosecution counsel, who is the state Director of Public Prosecution, Dari Bayero, said the judge was satisfied with the medical certificate tendered by El-Zakzaky, and granted him permission to travel to India to seek medical attention.
He said: “The court granted the defendant permission to seek medical attention under the strict supervision of the prosecution (state).
‘’The judge said from the medical reports filed by Mallam (El Zakzaky), he is, indeed, in dire need of medical attention. It’s not necessarily bail but he has been granted leave to travel for medical attention.
‘’The court said when he is discharged by the hospital; he will come back and continue his trial. So, as soon as he is discharged from the hospital, he will come back to the country and continue his trial.
“The court heard the arguments of the counsel and has ruled. We are bound by the ruling of the court.”
Bayero added that by the ruling of the court, the defendant will go to the hospital in India where he specifically pleaded in his argument and no other country.
The prosecution counsel said his team would study the judgment before taking the next decision on whether to appeal the judgment.
Also speaking with journalists, counsel to El-Zakzaky, Marshal Abubakar, said what the court did was not to grant bail to the defendant but to rule that he should proceed to India to save his life.
He said: “It was not a bail application. It was an application to save the life of the applicants, El-Zakzaky and his wife.
The judge, Justice Darius, graciously agreed with Mr Femi Falana, SAN, and the various medical reports that were attached to the applications.
‘’There were eight medical reports that clearly showed the applicants were in dire need of medical treatment abroad. The court agreed that they should be allowed immediate treatment that they sought, with supervision.”
However, a rights activist and Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Barrister Eze Onyekpere has condemned media reports crediting the Department of State Security Services (DSS) for the release of Islamic cleric and Founder of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, Sheikh Ibraheem El-ZakZaky.
El-Zakzaky, who has been in custody since 2015 following a clash involving his followers and the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, in the ancient city of Zaria, secured freedom after a Kaduna High Court granted his wish for medical attention in India.
But reports in some media outfits noted that the DSS had agreed to release the controversial cleric, a development that has been faulted by the activist.
According to Onyekpere, “The reports on DSS agreeing to release or have released El-Zakzaky is not only insulting to sensibilities of right thinking person’s but show the impunity of agencies who set up themselves as above the law.
“The Presidency had disobeyed two court orders to release the detainee. And at the peak of the IMN crisis, the Presidency insisted that the matter is no longer within its purview but before the court. So, why are we saying DSS has agreed to release? Do they have any choice after having boxed themselves into a corner?”
Questioning the choice of the word, “agreeing” in the reports, Onyekpere counseled journalists to be diligent in their reports even as he added that barring any twist in the lingering legal tussle, El-Zakzaky would return to the country as he was released temporarily for medical attention.
“Our language gives the impression of a conquered people who have submitted to our conquerors. The correct statement is that the court has granted him opportunity to travel, not bail, because DSS and government officials are to follow him on his trip to India and to ensure that he is back after the treatment. This is not bail but an opportunity to get medical treatment,” he added.
Meanwhile, Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has described the ruling of the court a victory for truth and justice against tyranny and impunity.
In a statement signed by the Chairman, Free El-Zakzaky Campaign Committee, Abdurrahman Yola, the group said the ruling by the court represented “victory for our dogged determination, patience, and perseverance in the face of extreme persecution.”
The statement read in part: ‘’With this recent ruling by the court, we will finalise urgent plans to transfer them to a more appropriate foreign health facility for further expert management as we await the response of the Nigerian government.
“As a peaceful movement, we have kept to our clean tradition of keeping faith with due process in seeking redress through peaceful means without any resort to violence, despite deliberate and persistent provocations by the government.”
“We wish to use this opportunity to also say a big thank you to all people of conscience, particularly some very senior citizens, diplomats, human rights activists and organizations, journalists and the general public who doggedly stood by us in the campaign for justice for the victims of Zaria genocide.”
Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, says Nigeria needs God-fearing leaders for the nation to move in the right direction and make meaningful progress.
The Governor stated this yesterday when he received in audience, the World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler; his wife, Andriene Marques Kohler; daughter Mariana Marques Kohler and a retinue of ministers of the church at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara who hailed the Seventh Day Adventist Church for its contributions to education and the grooming of future leaders in Nigeria, expressed delight that the Church had over the years, been investing in education at various levels and currently runs two universities in the country.
He commended the church for not only using its institutions to spread the gospel of Christianity but to groom future leaders for the country.
According to him, religion should not be just about defending one’s faith, but also making meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
He said that by floating these educational institutions, the church has demonstrated capacity to support Nigeria in the task of producing not only educated people but a breed of God-fearing leaders.
“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation, you’ll go beyond the line and that is what has brought us to where we are today.
“So, I feel very happy that you are contributing to the development of our future leaders in this country. We need the right people being in the right place; prepared properly with good minds; that is what we need, not just in Nigeria but round the whole world.,” he said.
Governor Fubara further observed that the absence of God-fearing people in high places to take the right decisions that could impact positively on the society, has also given rise to other problems such as social inequality, poverty, corruption and criminality. According to him, Nigeria needs a system where the average parent could afford quality education for their children and a guarantee that upon graduation, the average child will have the capacity to compete favourably with anybody, anywhere in the world.
“If we have a situation where the little money that you’re being paid as wage can also afford you quality healthcare and after working at least for 15-20 years, you have a roof over your head, tell me why you should be involved in any kind of crime? At that point, you’ll feel secured and this attitude of insecurity about the future that leads to all the social vices we have today won’t be there,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the delegation for the visit and for their prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his continued support for their programmes in the state.
Leader of the delegation and World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler said he was in Nigeria for a special conference of the church during which thousands of the church’s ministers will be undergoing an empowerment programme to further equip them for the task of herding their flocks and serving the society.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception accorded his entourage, saying the memory of the visit will linger in his mind for a lifetime.
Kohler disclosed that the Church has over twenty -four million (24,000,000) members and more than 182,000 places of worship, spread across 212 countries of the world.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has approved the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.
The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.
Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.
Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.
He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.
The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.
During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.
The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.
Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.
Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.
The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.
According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.
Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.
The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.
King Onunwor
Featured
JUNE 12: Democracy Remains Nigeria’s Strongest Path To Unity, Progress, Says Fubara ….Extols Abiola, Wife
Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed that democracy remains the most effective system of government for Nigeria, given the country’s rich diversity of ethnic, religious, and cultural identities.
In a goodwill message to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2026 Democracy Day celebration, Governor Fubara said June 12 represents far more than a historic date; as it embodies the enduring struggle, sacrifice, and collective aspiration of Nigerians for freedom, justice, and representative governance.
The Governor extended warm felicitations to Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, paying tribute to the heroes and heroines of the democratic struggle, particularly Chief MKO Abiola, his wife, Kudirat Abiola, and countless others whose courage and sacrifices helped secure the democratic freedoms Nigerians enjoy today.
According to him, “June 12 is a reminder of the price paid for the democracy we enjoy today. The sacrifices made by Chief MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, and many other patriots who laid the foundation for the democratic journey we continue to enjoy today. Their commitment to the principle that power must ultimately reside with the people remains a source of inspiration for every generation of Nigerians.”
Governor Fubara noted that thirty-three years after the historic June 12, 1993 election, Nigeria’s democratic experiment has continued to evolve despite challenges and setbacks.
“Our democratic journey has not been without difficulties, but the resilience of our institutions and the determination of our people have kept the nation moving forward. The ability to express differing opinions, engage in constructive debate, and peacefully choose leaders through the ballot remains one of the greatest achievements of our nation,” he said.
Governor Fubara stressed that democracy provides the best framework for managing Nigeria’s diversity and transforming it into a source of national strength.
“Nigeria’s diversity should never be seen as a weakness. Properly harnessed, it is our greatest asset. Democracy offers us the opportunity to build consensus, promote inclusion, strengthen national unity, and create the conditions for sustainable development and shared prosperity,” he said.
Governor Fubara commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda and ongoing efforts aimed at economic revitalization, strengthening security, and deepening democratic institutions across the country.
He reiterated the readiness of Rivers State to continue partnering with the Federal Government in advancing policies and programmes that improve the lives of citizens through infrastructure development, job creation, enhanced security, quality education, healthcare delivery, and good governance.
The Governor further called on Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, ethnic background, or religious belief, to use the occasion of Democracy Day to renew their commitment to the Nigerian project and the ideals that underpin democratic governance.
“Democracy must not be viewed merely as a periodic electoral exercise. It must be reflected in our daily commitment to accountability, transparency, tolerance, justice, respect for the rule of law, and responsible leadership. As citizens and leaders, we all share a collective responsibility to strengthen our democracy and build a nation that future generations will be proud to inherit,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future, urging citizens to remain united, hopeful, and committed to the values of peace, dialogue, and national development.
“Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous Nigeria where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to national progress,” he said.