The Kaduna State High Court on Monday adjourned till August 5 ruling in the application for permission to travel to India for medical attention filed by the detained leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and his wife, Zeenat following their absence in court.

The presiding judge, Justice Darius Khobo gave the order after listening to the arguments put forward by both the defense and prosecuting counsels on the bail application filed by El-Zakzaky in which he cited poor health while in detention.

Briefing journalists shortly after the hearing, counsel to the respondents and the Kaduna State Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Dari Bayero briefed  said the adjournment was sequel to the argument put forth by counsel to both parties.

Mr. Bayero said that his team had examined the eight medical reports by both Nigerian and foreign doctors which accompanied El-Zakzaky’s application and discovered that there were several medical facilities in the country which could cater for the medical needs of the defendants. 

Counsel to the applicants, Femi Falana (SAN ) told newsmen after the adjournment that his clients were in need of immediate medical attention.

While stressing that  his clients had not been given adequate medical care since their detention on December 14, 2015, Falana expressed concern over what he described as the continued deteriorating condition of his clients’ health.

He disclosed that the Shiite leader had already lost an eye and was about to lose the second one if nothing was done, adding that pellets of bullets were still lodged in his clients’ bodies since 2015 and need to be removed.

Falana explained that the IMN leader was not in court because his health was ‘very bad’ at the moment, noting that even during the last appearance, he could not climb the staircase to the courtroom.

“That is why we applied that he be excused from appearance in court and was granted. The pellets had resulted to lead poison and need to be urgently removed by highly professional medical personnel,” Falana said.

He further expressed the hope that the court would grant El-Zakzaky and his wife the permission to go to Medanta Hospital, New Delhi, India for urgent medical attention and that they would return to Nigeria as soon as they are discharged.