Update: El-Zakzaky, wife granted permission to travel abroad for medical treatment

In his ruling, Justice Darius Khobo, ordered officials of the state government to accompany El-Zakzaky during his trip abroad.Justice Khobo added that the IMN leader must return immediately after his discharge from the hospital to face his charges, even though he did not fix a date for the defendants to embark on the medical trip.

Briefing newsmen, shortly after Monday’s ruling in Kaduna, the respondent in El-Zazaky’s application and State Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Dari Bayero, said the team had taken time and examined the eight medical reports by Nigerian and foreign doctors that accompanied the IMN leader’s application.

He said: “The context of the court ruling is that Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife are granted leave to travel out for urgent medical attention.

“The court looked through the medical reports filed and believed Mallam is indeed in dire need of medical attention.
“This is not a bail, but a leave to travel. So as soon as his discharge from the hospital and he returns to the country, his trial will resume.”

Bayero said the team of lawyers would study the ruling and explore whether there is a need for appeal, saying “We have a month to go through that.”

Also commenting, counsel to El-Zakzaky, Femi Falana, said the ruling was just to grant the IMN leader and his wife leave to seek medical attention abroad and not an outright bail.

Femi Falana SAN, had during the last sitting of the court gave an update on El-Zakzaky and his wife’s health and why they should be granted bail.