The Kaduna state government has charged Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), to a high court in the state.
El-Zakzaky was arrested in December 2015 after his followers and some soldiers clashed in Zaria, Kaduna state.
Over 300 people were said to have been killed as a result of the clash.
After his arrest, the Kaduna government charged him with criminal conspiracy.
The IMN leader has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his arrest despite court orders for his release.
His followers have held a series of protests over his continued detention of El-Zakzaky.
But in a suit dated April 18, El-Zakzaky and three other leaders of IMN were slammed an eight-count charge.
The suit also listed 18 persons as witnesses to testify against the defendants in court.
“That you, Mallam Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky, Mallama Zeenah Ibrahim, Yakub Yahaya Katsina and Sanusi Abdulkadir being leaders of the Islamic Movement of Nigeriaon or about the 12th of December at Zaria agreed with other members of the sect to do an illegal act, to wit; whicle armedwith dangerous weapons such as pistols guns, dane guns, cutlasses, knives, catapults, axes, clubs and sticks blocked Sokoto road, Sabon Gari, Zaria, and other major roads within the environs and prevented the convoy of the chief of army staff and the general public from gaining access to the roads and same act was done in pursuance of the said agreement and you thereby commit an offence punishable under section 59 of the penal code pf law of Kaduna state 2017,” the charge read in part.
It further listed the exhibits found in the possession of Shi’ites during the clash to include 40 pieces of catapults, 17 pieces of sticks, 70 pieces of knives, one piece of locally-made pistol, 21 pieces of arrows, 12 pieces of bows.
In January, Zakzaky denounced rumours of his death when he spoke to journalists during his first public appearance in over two years.
Recently, IMN members protesting the detention of their have clashed with policemen in Abuja, resulting in deaths, injuries and arrest of many.