REJECTION OF INDIAN HOSPITAL: YOU HAVE ULTERIOR MOTIVE, NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT TELLS EL-ZAKZAKY

‘On 12th August, 2019, he and other members of the entourage went to India via Dubai. It is to be noted that El-Zakzaky particularly chose Medanta Hospital, India. However, on reaching Dubai, El-Zakzaky began to display ulterior motives against laid down procedures’, the statement pointed out.

The Federal Government in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Culture, Grace Gekpe added that, in line with the Court Order, El-Zakzaky was approved to embark on the trip with State officials and his choice to be accompanied by his aides and personal Doctors was not opposed by the government.

Penpushing further reports that the Shitte leader on arriving India requested that his passport be handed over to him but the State officials ignored his pressure, while he also refused to subject himself to preliminary medical checks by the hospital of his choice.

The Federal Government accused him of having ulterior motives against the laid down procedures for his medical trip, and that in contrary  he demanded free movement and access to visitors of all kinds as well as requested to be allowed to check into a 5-Star Hotel instead of being admitted in the hospital.

‘The request was refused on the ground that he came into the country for medicals and not as a tourist (more so that his Visa was issued on medical grounds and not for tourism). He also demanded that Police protection be withdrawn from him by the Indian authorities’.

‘The Court on 5th August, 2019 granted Sheikh Ibraheem EL-Zakzaky leave to travel to India for medical treatment. Consequently, the Government and its relevant agencies took steps to comply with the Order’.

‘Against medical ethics and standard practice, he requested to nominate Doctors of his choice to join the ones tasked by Medanta Hospital to perform medical treatment on him and his wife. This created a stalemate, which the Hospital insisted that he would not dictate to it on the choice of medical personnel to carry the required medical treatment’.

The statement explained that, frustrated by his(El-Zakzaky )antics, the Indian authorities have expressed willingness to return him to Nigeria with immediate effect, adding that this was on the account that the(hospital) will not allow him to use their country to internationalise his group’s activities.

The Federal Government emphasized that, against this background, it wishes to commend the stand of the Indian Government as well as apologize to her for the unruly behaviour of El-Zakzaky, adding that, ’similarly, the attention of the public and indeed the international community is hereby drawn to these unfortunate developments’.

‘The government also wishes to use this opportunity to affirm its readiness to undertake the prosecution of El-Zakzaky through due process if and when he is returned to the country. On this note, his foul cry that he is being held in circumstances worse than he was in Nigeria should be disregarded’

Penpushing recalled that, El-Zakzaky accused the Federal Government of frustrating his treatment in India, alleging that his hospital ward was heavily militarized, worse than the situation at the detention centre he was held in Nigeria.

The Shitte leader also claimed in an audio that his personal Doctor was not allowed to be part of the medical team at the hospital despite earlier agreements.

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