A Kaduna State High Court, on Wednesday, freed the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife.
In an eight-hour ruling, Justice Gideon Kurada upheld the no-case submission filed by El-Zakzaky and his wife.
The Kaduna State Government had levelled an alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace against them.
The judge in his ruling held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.
El-Zakzaky and his wife Zeenat have been standing trial for four years on an eight-count charge.
The defendants arrived in court thhis morning by officials of the Nigerian Correctional service amidst tight security.
Their lead counsel and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had on July 1, argued that all the 15 witnesses presented by the prosecution counsel were unable to establish any connection between the alleged crimes and Sheikh El-Zakzaky and his wife.
Falana then prayed the court to rule in favour of his clients and dismiss the charges levelled against them as there was no criminal case that has been established against them so far by the Kaduna State Government.
