El-Zakzaky returns to Nigeria, whisked away by DSS operatives

Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), is back in the country. He arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 11:40am into the waiting arms of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) who prevented some of his supporters from having access to him.

Immediately the Ethiopian Airline flight conveying El-Zakzaky and Zeenat, his wife, touched down, the security operatives drove an ambulance to the tarmac and picked them up. They were said to have been taken through the presidential wing of the airport.

Recall that El-Zakzaky was on his way back to the country without getting medical attention in India. He, his wife, some family members and security operatives had left the country on Monday but 24 hours after he landed in India, the cleric raised the alarm that he was being frustrated.

In an audio tape that went viral on Wednesday, he had said he was being re-detained under heavy security, expressing the desire to return home. El-Zakzaky said he was not given access to his preferred doctors, adding that he did not trust those they asked to examine him. But the federal government had dismissed his claim, accusing him of not complying with the terms of the Kaduna high court which granted him medical leave.

In a statement, Grace Gekpe, permanent secretary, ministry of information, said the IMN leader demanded to have his passport and sought free movement. She added that he wanted to receive visitors and also made a request to be checked into a 5-star hotel. She said he had behaved so badly that the Indian authorities were willing to return him to Nigeria.

Suhaila, a daughter of El-Zakzaky, had earlier told BBC that her father was suffering from lead poisoning which could result to his death. The cleric and his wife have been in detention since their arrest in 2015 following a clash between their supporters and some soldiers.