A Kaduna State High court presided over by Justice Gideon Kurada has ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service to evacuate the wife of the embattled leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Zeenat Elzakzaky to an isolation centre to enable her to undergo treatment for COVID-19.
In the ruling delivered on Monday, the court asked that Zeenat be moved to a government isolation facility to begin treatment immediately.
Mrs Elzakzaky reportedly contracted the virus inside the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kaduna state capital last week.
Last Thursday, Mohammed, son of the IMN leader, said his mother, Zeenat, tested positive for COVID-19 at the Kaduna correctional centre, but that the authorities refused to release her for treatment.
A statement signed by the spokesman of the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kaduna State Command, Daniel Wadai insisted that there is no report of any COVID-19 infection in any of their facilities as all inmates are safe and well-protected.
“The attention of the Kaduna State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) has been drawn to a news item being circulated by some mischief makers alleging that an inmate in one of the custodial centres in the state has contracted COVID-19,” the statement said.
Femi Falana, counsel to El-Zakzaky, had presented a medical report to back up his case for the release of Zeenat.
The senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) asked the court to allow Zeenat seek medical treatment outside the correctional centre according to measures put in place by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Gideon Kurada, the presiding judge, granted the request after Chris Umar, the prosecuting counsel, concurred with Falana’s submission.
The IMN leader is standing trial for alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disruption of public peace.
