Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) under the auspices of Resource Forum of IMN, have implored President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to unconditionally release Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, who are still in detention after they had been granted release four years ago by the court of law.

Chairman, Resource Forum of IMN, Prof. Abdullahi Danladi, on Saturday at a press conference demanded the release of the cleric.

He disclosed that “Today marks the fourth anniversary of the expiration of the 45 days caveat within which Buhari-led federal government has been ordered to release our leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky in a historic judgement delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on the enforcement of his fundamental Rights and that of his wife, Malama Zeenah Ibrahim.

“Failure to obey that judgement by President Muhammadu Buhari four years on, and counting, makes it one of the worst violations of the rule of law and a monumental abuse of the rights of the couple.”

He said “Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered the release of the ailing Sheikh and his wife within 45 days of the judgement and that both must be provided with suitable accommodation and security.

“The court further ordered the payment of 50 million Naira by the federal government to both.

“Delivering the judgment, the Presiding Judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that the continued detention of El-Zakzaky and his wife by state instrumentality was an arbitrary act.”

Danladi emphasized that “The judge had warned the government in that judgement that holding the Sheikh for so long amounted to great danger, insisting that if the applicant dies in custody, which I do not pray for, it could result in many needless deaths.”

The Resource Forum of IMN attested that “President Buhari has stubbornly kept deaf ears to that and contemptuously continued to detain them, pointing out that instead of releasing them, Buhari opted to file bogus charges against the Sheikh and his wife through Kaduna state government.”

The forum said failure to obey court orders by the government is an open invitation to anarchy as observed by a Professor of law, adding that this is at variance with the democratic principles it claims to be running.

It also observed that before arriving at any decision to release any individual or grant him bail, the courts must have first reviewed the facts presented by all parties and listened to arguments from both the government and such citizens.

“It is therefore totally unacceptable for a government to choose the judgements it would follow and those it will ignore,” the forum added in the statement.

The chairman affirmed that many international bodies including Amnesty International and the European Union have all urged the Nigerian government to demonstrate respect for the rule of law and release the cleric, yet the Federal Government has not yielded, now concluding that “We will leave no stone unturned in demanding for his unconditional freedom using all legitimate means at our disposal.”