- Zeenah discloses severe belly cramps, rendering her unable to sleep or stand comfortably.
- She accuses the Nigerian government of exacerbating their situation by withholding passports and essential travel documents despite a court judgment acquitting and discharging them of charges
Zeenah El-Zakzaky, the wife of the prominent leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), commonly known as Shiites, has voiced her distress and anguish due to the presence of bullets lodged in her stomach.
The incident occurred on December 14, 2015, in Zaria, Kaduna State, when she and her husband, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, were shot amid the Nigerian Army’s actions, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Shia Muslims. Human Rights Watch later revealed that the army had secretly buried over 300 bodies in a mass grave.
During the International Qudus Conference and Exhibition in Abuja, Zeenah shared her harrowing experiences with the members of the movement. She spoke with deep emotion, revealing that she has been enduring excruciating cramps in her abdomen, severely impacting her daily life. The relentless sharp pains have deprived her of sleep and the ability to stand comfortably.
Despite these challenges, Zeenah expressed gratitude for being alive by the grace of Allah. However, she accused the Nigerian government of exacerbating their hardships by refusing to return their passports and other essential travel documents. This refusal has made their lives even more miserable and challenging.
Zeenah expressed her displeasure at the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) for their handling of the situation. Despite a court judgment acquitting and discharging them of the charges brought by the government, the delay and reluctance in returning their passports have caused frustration and uncertainty.
She said: “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.
“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