Members of the outlawed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), have announced that the seized international passport of their leader, Sheik Ibraheem El ZakZaky has been released by the Nigerian government.
Since 2021, the IMN leader has been locked in legal battle with the federal government over the allegedly confisticated travel document.
In a grand ceremony organized at the Faudiyya Islamic Center, Potiskum, Yobe State members of the religious group celebrated the release of the passport with excitement.
Speaking on the issue, the Deputy Leader of the IMN in Potiskum, Malam Bala Afuwa thanked Allah for the great progress they have made in their “agitation” for religious freedom.
“We have been patiently waiting for this moment when Malam El-Zakzaky and his Wife would get such freedom of traveling to seek proper medical treatment.
“God has shown us today, they have been issued their respective passports, we’re indeed grateful for that,” he told journalists.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on July 26, 2019 ruled that the IMN was a terrorist organization and were engaging in “acts of terrorism and illegality.”
The government relied on the ruling and on July 28, 2019 announced the ban of the religious sect.
However, the sect has continued to battle with the federal government, organizing protests that most times end violently with their adherents constantly clashing with security operatives.
.c