Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial: Again, security operatives barricade court premises, restrict media coverage

There is tight security at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday morning, as the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is produced to face his trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had, on October 21, reported heavy deployment of security personnel in and around the court premises when the case came up.

Similarly, a large number of security personnel was deployed in the court premises and its surroundings on Wednesday, to forestall security breach.

Entrances leading to the court premises were barricaded by a combined armed officers of the State Security Services (SSS), the Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence and the Nigerian Police.

Vehicles were not allowed into the court compound.

However, court staff and journalists, whose names are on the list for the coverage, are allowed access into the building as at the time of filing the report.

Although five media houses would be given access into the court room out of the list presented to the SSS operatives, a number of media practitioners would be asked to stay at the media centre at the court basement.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the security agencies barred journalists and lawyers from the court premises during the last proceedings on October 21.

Restriction of media coverage of the trial has been widely criticised by lawyers and Mr Kanu’s legal team, who fear his right to fair trial will be breached in the absence

ALSO READ: Groups clash outside court premises over Nnamdi Kanu’s trial

A human rights lawyer, Tope Temokun, has sued the heads of the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigerian police, as well as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, over media restrictions barring many journalists from covering the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The plaintiff filed the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the same court Mr Kanu is being prosecuted on charges of treasonable felony and terrorism.

The charges, according to the prosecution, arose from Mr Kanu’s violent separatist agitations for a Republic of Biafra constituted by Igbo-dominated South-eastern part of Nigeria.

Mr Temokun cited in his suit, which he said was instituted in defence of press freedom, how only a handful of journalists were accredited, on July 23, to cover the July 26 proceedings in Mr Kanu’s trial while many unaccredited ones were barred from accessing the courtroom.

(NAN)