AS SHIA LEADER EL ZAKZAKY AND WIFE REJECTS TREATMENT AND RETURNS TO NIGERIA; WHAT'S NEXT?

Recent news has spread all over the country and international media about the return of the Nigeria Islamic shia movement leader El Zakzaky and his wife, reportedly after refusing medical treatment offered in an India hospital. According to reports, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and his wife complained about what they called bad handling of the medical mission and the team, stressing that even armed India police were also stationed in his hospita room - according to Aljazeera news.

It was very surprising that few days after departure from Nigeria, which it took several failed attempts and restiveness by his followers to get a Kaduna court to grant him bail for the medical mission, the airplane conveying the IMN leader was seen flying back into the country.


According to news reports, El Zakzaky and his wife were escorted back into the custody of the Department of State Services. Now that he is back into the country, what is the way forward?

What is the current position of the multitude of his followers on El Zakzaky's return? Would the government continue to strengthen efforts to see that his trials were brought to a speedy and rational conclusion?

For over two weeks, the Nigeria media were awashed with news of unrest and clashes with the authorities by the members of the Shia movement in the Federal Capital City of Abuja, which claimed lives including that of a journalist and a police officer. The proscription of the movement by the Nigerian government, which came after that deadly protest have also been received by many with mixed feelings, although the authorities have shown no sentiments in their latest action.

Many Nigerians are looking forward to a rational end to this matter, which shall bring to rest the restiveness of the Shia members, return peace to the lands and enthrone fairness in both the government's decisions in this matter and judicial proceedings.