A Nigerian court on Monday granted bail to a detained Shia leader and his wife to fly to India for medical care, in a move that could defuse tensions after his group was banned following a spate of bloody protests.
Ibrahim Zakzaky, the founder of the pro-Iranian Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), has been in custody along with his wife Zeenah Ibrahim since their arrest in December 2015.
The judge in the northern city of Kaduna “ordered that Zakzaky be flown to India for proper medical attention”, lawyer Femi Falana told AFP.
Another member of the defence team said his wife was also allowed abroad for treatment.
The Government late last month outlawed the IMN on “terrorism” grounds after protests demanding Zakzaky’s release descended into bloodshed.
Zakzaky’s daughter Suhailah told AFP the ruling was “good news” but said she was still waiting to find out the conditions of his bail.