Thousands of Nigerians gathered at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the National Stadium in Abuja on Wednesday to welcome Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H), the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), often known as Shi’ites, back to the country.
The Islamic cleric had gone on a medical trip.
Thousands of fans gathered at the National Stadium in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to greet the leader and express their joy over Zakzaky’s return.
Sheikh Zakzaky addressed the crowd and expressed his gratitude for the great reception on such a historic occasion.
The event marked the first large gathering at which the Islamic leader addressed his supporters and the general public since his release from Kaduna prison in 2021, after a Kaduna State High Court cleared him of all charges made against him by the government.
Zakzaky traveled to Iran on October 11, 2023, to seek therapy for himself and his wife, Malama Zeenah Ibrahim. The health difficulties stemmed from the Nigerian army’s attack on their home in December 2015.
The Nigerian Army invaded Sheikh Zakzaky’s mansion in December 2015, under the administration of then-President Muhammadu Buhari, killing hundreds of his adherents, including family members.
Following the attack, Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife were arrested and jailed for nearly six years before being released on July 28, 2021.
After two years of freedom, in October 2023, the Nigerian government, now led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, returned their travel documents, allowing them to seek medical care overseas.
Zakzaky returned to Nigeria on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, about 1:25 p.m., with his wife, Zeenah, and their entourage. They arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and proceeded to the National Stadium, where a ceremony had been planned to commemorate their return.
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