Justice Gideon Kurada of the Kaduna State High Court had earlier acquitted and discharged the Shiites leader, El- Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat Ibrahim who had been standing trial in the court for the past four years.
The behind-the-scenes controversy over the proposed arms sale illustrates a broader debate among Washington policymakers over how to balance national security with human rights objectives.
El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, are standing trial on eight counts bordering on alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, disruption of public peace, among others.