The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday arraigned the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) Ibrahim El-zakzaky before a state high court.
The IMN leader and his wife are being arraigned on eight counts of alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, disturbance of public peace, among other allegations.
They were brought to the court from Abuja, the nation’s capital in two black SUVs amidst tight security.
At the commencement of the hearing, the defence counsel, Maxwell Kyon, made an oral application for the couple on grounds that they had been in detention for over two years without trial.
Justice Kurada, however, refused the oral application made by Mr Kyon and told him to rather file a written application which will be heard before or on the next adjourned date.
Consequently, he adjourned the case till June 21, 2018.
El-zakzaky and his wife have been held in prison without trial since his arrest by the Nigerian government in December 2015.
While his followers regularly take to the streets to protest his prolonged detention, Tuesday’s arraignment sparked a fresh protest as the members blocked the popular Ahmadu Bello way and other major roads in the state capital to demand his release.
This follows a clash on Monday between the police and some members of the group also known as Shiites at the Federal Secretariat complex in Abuja.
The Shiite had stormed the area to protest the released of their leaders from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
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