A Kaduna State High Court on Wednesday set free the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat.
In his ruling on a no-case submission filed by the lawyer to El-Zakzaky and his wife, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), Justice Gideon Kurada held that the prosecuting Kaduna State Government failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.
Theideal recalls that El-Zakzaky and his wife were arraigned on an eight-count charge of alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace.
But when the charge was read to El-Zakzaky and his wife, they pleaded not guilty to the offence preferred against them.
The defendants had been in detention since December 2015, following clashes between IMN members and soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna state.
The prosecution later closed its case after calling 15 witnesses.
But Falana had on July 1, argued that all the 15 witnesses presented by the prosecution failed to establish any connection between the alleged crimes and his clients.
The Senior Advocate later urged the court to rule in favour of his clients and dismiss the charges leveled against them accordingly.
Justice Kurada agreed with Falana’s submission and upheld the no-case submission.
