REPORT: Shiite leader El Zakzaky may be slammed with treasonable felony.

Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky who heads the Shiite Muslim community in Nigeria is being kept in a police detention facility in Kaduna and may be slammed with the charge of trying to overthrow a legitimate government, otherwise called treasonable felony.

Zakzaky was arrested in December following a bloody clash between the army and members of his sect which left scores dead.

Concerns have been raised regarding his whereabouts and the Iranians have threatened Nigeria over his release.

The Punch reports that upon the conclusion of investigation by the police into his activities which were said to have grave security implications, Zakzaky may face felony charges.

The newspaper quotes a source as saying: “El-Zakzaky is being kept at a detention facility in Kaduna; he cannot be released for now because he is being investigated by the police.

“In fact, a probe of El-Zakzaky’s activities is ongoing and the investigating team is headed by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, so he is not likely to be released any time soon. Those calling for his release don’t know the gravity of the security breaches he had committed.”

Zakzaky’s Shiite sect have long been alleged to disturb the peace and constituting themselves into a public nuisance in parts of the North.