While speaking to journalists on Thursday on the condition of anonymity a top Presidency official ruled out the possibility of Federal Government releasing the detained leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, despite the court order asking it to do so.
The official said that the cleric’s continued detention is in ‘security and public interest’ , adding that since the constitutional objective of government as stated in Section 14 (2) (b) of the nation’s constitution was public and not individual security, there was the need for the cleric to remain in detention.
He said, “The issue of the release of El-Zakzaky is not exclusively legal. It has security and public interest as against individual interest undertones.
“Public interest and national security implications must be factored into consideration in line with international practices that conventionally place national security and public interest above any other individual claim of right.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria is looking into the case with the public and security interest dimensions into consideration.”
He however did not disclose the nature of the said “security and public interest.”
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