Nigeria: A country of many contradictions.

For four years, the combined Federal Government of Nigeria and the Kaduna State Government persecuted Sheikh El-Zakzaky, his family and his followers, with the Army and Police teamed up to raze down their houses and settlement.

They beat the Sheikh and his wife, seriously injuring them. They killed his three sons and estimated 1000 of his followers. For four Years, they detained the man and his wife and refused to release them. According to the followers of the Sheikh, the Nigerian Government severally tried to poison the Sheikh.

Then all of a sudden, everything changed. The court granted the Sheikh and his wife leave to go for medical treatment in India. So any plan to kill him has been turned in the opposite direction.

Nigerian Government even offered to provide private jet to fly them to India. But the Sheikh rightly rejected the offer and flew on his own terms. And once in India, he was received by the Indian doctors with much respect and professionalism.

The contradiction did not end there. Sheikh El-Zakzaky was allowed to go overseas for treatment by a President that also goes overseas for treatment because Nigerian Government and the courts agreed there are no world standard hospital in Nigeria.

For the Indian doctors, it must be a beautiful merging of medicine and International law and politics. They must have been well prepared to receive this man as an acknowledgement of the reputation of modern Indian medicine. They understand the world is watching and would like to save the Sheikh’s life just to live up to their reputation.

With the Sheikh out of Nigeria, he can easily refuse to come back if he wants not to come back. The last minute efforts of Kaduna State Government was useless. The degree of health challenges the Sheikh faces is such that it could take years for him to get well. And his Indian doctors will not discharge him until he is recovered.

Apart from health reasons, he will easily succeed if he applies for asylum either in India or another country. But the Sheikh will like to come back to Nigeria.

With millions of followers in Nigeria, that is his center of gravity. Nigerian Government will probably now treat with respect and deference a man they tried to kill.