The group said the ploy by some government officials to create the impression that the cleric was in a state of coma and that his condition had worsened beyond normal was aimed at causing confusion and chaos.
Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria otherwise known as Shiites has warned top Nigerian Government officials to desist from peddling rumours on the health of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky
The group said the ploy by some government officials to create the impression that the cleric was in a state of coma and that his condition had worsened beyond normal was aimed at causing confusion and chaos.
Secretary of the Academic Forum of the movement, Abdullahi Musa, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He said the agenda of those behind the malicious falsehood was premeditated to either cause unrest or exploit the current situation in the country.
He therefore urged members to be wary of agents of destabilisation and disregard such rumour, adding that the information was frivolous and unfounded.
Musa said, “Rumour had it on the 24th of October, 2020 that Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky was either in a state of critical illness or a state worse than ever before. But a visit by his only surviving son, Mohammed, revealed that although the Sheikh and his wife are suffering from many life-threatening health challenges as a result of multiple injuries in their bodies, the couple are yet alive.
“Though veracity of the rumour proved totally unfounded, it must have been peddled by evil and violence merchants for a malicious and mischievous purpose, for there is no smoke without fire.”
Though he admitted that El-Zakzaky had been suffering from glaucoma, cervical spondylosis and up to 55 bullet fragments with excessive lead and cadmium poisoning in his body.
"He has been suffering from sleep disorder, recurrent spiking hypertension, recurrent episodes of strokes, and just few months ago, his cardiac ischemia and ventricular hypertrophy were found to deteriorate, he is now even requiring cardiac catherisation, thereby making him far more unfit to stand trial,” Musa added.
He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari alongside his stooges would be held responsible in case anything untoward happened to their leader.