A Kaduna State High Court on Monday adjourned the trial of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat, until March 31 to enable prosecution to close its case.
The lead prosecution, Chris Umar, also Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Justice, confirmed the adjournment shortly after the trial that lasted more than six hours on Monday.
Umar said that the prosecution had so far presented 14 witnesses in the case. He said that the court had admitted several items in evidence, but declined to mention the items.
Also speaking, defence counsel Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) told reporters that items including video recordings, dane guns, sim cards among other items were admitted in evidence by the court.
Falana said his team will open defence in the case after the prosecution closed its case on the adjourned date.
The ‘secret trial’ of the IMN leader and his wife Zeenat began on Nov. 18, 2020, at the High Court.
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The Kaduna State Government charged El-Zakzaky and Zeenat with eight counts bordering on alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disruption of the public peace among other charges.
On Sept. 29, the IMN leader and his wife pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
The state had so far presented 14 witnesses including two Army officers, a retired director of state security service, police officers, and a medical doctor who testified in secret before Justice Gideon Kurada.
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