The family of Mu'allim Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky have faced extreme harassment since his arrest. The following account was sent a year ago, yet their plight continues. If you wouldlike more information please visit the Free Al-Zakzaky! homepage, or for more dtails on how to help visit the the how to campaign page.

"I, Zeenah Ibrahim, the wife of Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky - who is presently detained unjustly by this tyrannical government of Sani Abacha - wish to make my condition and situation known to the press, the general public and all freedom loving people of the world. I also hope by doing so to expose the dirty face of this government and the extent of Abacha's regime's abuse of human rights.

"After the arrest of my husband, I and my children have been subjected to terrible harassment by the security forces. They constantly raided our house day and night; on one such occasion, the children were about to have their supper when they broke in and they so frightened the children that even after their departure the children slept without having any meal. On about three occasions they attempted to arrest my eldest child Mohammed who is just eleven years old.

"Last Sunday 24th November 1996, they again raided our new house when they arrived but I came back while they were still ransacking the house. I parked the car, I was riding just outside the house and was immediately surrounded by some of them, who asked me to give them particulars of the car. Before I could go in and bring out the particulars, they started the car without its keys and went off with it. I followed them to their station in Zaria City where they claimed that they had an order from Abuja to confiscate the car. the next day I pursued the matter with their A.C. at Police Headquarters in Zaria and produced the particulars of the car since they alleged it was a stolen car. The A.C. pretended to me that it was a simple case and that the car could be restored to me that very day. He directed me to go back to the D.P.O in Zaria City Police Station and promised to ask him to co-operate with me over the phone. But on my way to the station I was warned by a friendly security agent not to go near the station for there had just arrived an order for my detention. As I am expecting my baby at any moment from now I decided to go into hiding until I deliver my baby safely. After delivery, I would certainly go back home and await the execution of this inhuman order.

"I have been forcibly separated from my children. My presence with them was at least a consolation to them. Now that I am away from them, I do not know what inhuman moves could be made against them. To date since the arrest of Mu'allim they have perpetrated great crimes against us, ranging from the killing and maiming of 1000's of people who protested peacefully against the unjust arrest of Mu'allim, destroying our house which is under construction, pressurising the landlord of the house we were renting at the time of the arrest to evacuate us out of the house even before the end of our tenure, denying us access to the telephone services and threatening the Nigerian Telecommunications Technicians in Zaria terrible consequences if they dare restore the line, to ordering the constant arrest and harassment of Mu'allim's students and anyone found in the vicinity of our house each time they raided us, confiscation of my car, beating my niece, destruction of our property, demolition of our schools in some towns and villages and now forcibly separating me from my children, the youngest of which is just 19 months old, this is not to mention the verbal insults passed on to us each time they raided our house. Those in detention have been subjected to terrible tortures, such as beating and breaking of limbs and bones.

"It is the duty of all freedom loving people to protest against these acts of blatant abuse of human rights and atrocities committed by this oppressive government of Abacha. To date, they have denied any access to Mu'allim, so I fear for his safety. They have not said for what crime he is held."

Please help in whatever way you can to bring this injustice to an end.

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