Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife Zeenat were freed by Justice Gideon Kurada of the Kaduna State High Court on Wednesday.
They had been standing trial for alleged culpable homicide and unlawful assembly among other criminal charges since 2015.
El-Zakzaky was arrested following a clash between his followers and the convoy of the immediate-past Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai in Zaria in December 2015.
Following the court’s ruling on Wednesday, the IMN leader was whisked away in the same vehicle with his lead counsel Femi Falana after the judgment that lasted for close to eight hours.
In a statement, the IMN said the ruling proved that the organisation and its leader are only “victims of impunity” by both the federal and Kaduna state governments.”
