Sophia Michaels
Zeenah El-Zakzaky, the wife of Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, who is the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), popularly called Shiites has cried out for help.
She lamented the pains and difficulties she has been going through as a result of the bullets lodged inside her stomach.
She was shot alongside her husband, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky in Zaria, Kaduna State on December 14, 2015, two days after the Nigerian Army killed hundreds of Shia Muslims.
Over 300 bodies were secretly buried by the army in a mass grave, according to Human Rights Watch.
Meanwhile, Zeenah said she has been having terrible cramps in her belly which has made life more difficult for her.
She disclosed this on Saturday during the International Qudus Conference and Exhibition in Abuja.
Zeenah, who spoke in an emotion-laden voice while addressing members of the movement, said she could not sleep or stand owing to frequent sharp pains.
According to her, she was still alive by the grace of Allah.
“I know we are living because Allah wants us to live. You know I have bullets in my stomach and they are giving me terrible cramps. When I say terrible cramps, in fact, I always think I am going to die beautiful.
“I cannot sit down, I cannot walk. Whatever I do, the cramp continues. As you can see now, I am using a wheelchair; even in the room or from my bed to the toilet.
“I can’t stand on my legs because all of the cartilage is gone. For Sheik, his own condition is even worse because he has more than 42 bullet fragments in his body, according to the doctors. He has in the skull and eyes.”
Zeenah accused the Nigerian government of deliberately making life more miserable and difficult for them by refusing to return their passports and other travelling documents.
Zeenah expressed displeasure at the way and manner the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) have been tossing them around over their passports despite a court judgment acquitting and discharging them of the charges levelled against them by the government.
She said, “After coming out of the court, the DSS said the passports were with the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) and NIA through a source said the passports are with them but they continue to play with our intelligence and we understand that they are not going to give them to us.”
While lamenting the gruesome killing of six of their children during the July 2014 Quds day killing and the 2015 Zaria massacre by the Nigerian Army, Zeenah said she was no longer afraid of death.
She urged the government to hasten the process and terminate her life once and for all.
“During the Zaria massacre when three of my children were killed, I was happy that part of me was being sacrificed for the liberation of Palestinians.
“I told the oppressor that you have failed, that you have killed our people does not mean that we are going to stop our struggle.
“After the Zaria massacre, they killed another three of my children. I am still telling them now that here I am now; I am also ready to give my life. I am waiting for you because what is left for me again You have killed my children and the people I love.
“You have guns, bombs and bulldozers, we don’t have these weapons but we have our souls and we will never surrender to you. We will always resist your injustice even when our blood is being spilt.”
She insisted that Shiites would not be subjected to servitude to the oppressors irrespective of the killing and intimidation of the members of the Shia Muslim community
Zeenah added that her husband was going blind on a daily basis due to glaucoma which affected his two eyes.
She, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu to facilitate the release of their passports to enable them to travel out of the country for necessary treatments.
Quds Day is an annual pro-Palestinian event held on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to express support for Palestinians and oppose Israel and Zionism.
