DSS Bars Journalists from Covering Igboho Ally's Trial

The Department of State Services (DSS) has brought some of the supporters of Sunday Igboho who were arrested in Oyo state to a federal high court in Abuja.

Operatives of the agency barred journalists from covering the trial.

The DSS on July 1 raided Igboho’s residence in Oyo and arrested 12 of his supporters, who allegedly attacked the operatives during the raid.

The supporters were subsequently moved to the federal capital territory (FCT) where they have been in detention.

Owing to their detention, the suspects through their lawyer, Pelumi Olajemgbesi, filed an application asking the court to “inquire into the circumstances constituting grounds of their arrest and detention since July 2, 2021, and where it deems fit admit applicants on bail”.

Obiora Egwatu, the judge, said there was merit in the application and ordered the DSS to produce the applicants in court on July 29.

However, the DSS failed to produce the applicants in court on the date fixed.

On July 29, the judge restated his earlier order and adjourned the case for August 2.

At the court session on Monday, only eight of the applicants were brought to court.

Speaking to journalists immediately after the court session, Olajemgbese said the court has granted them leave to amend their processes.

“We discovered that there are some errors in our document which we need to correct,” he said.

“DSS did not come to court with all the 12 people arrested in Igboho’s house. They came here with just eight of them. Even when we visited the DSS facility, we were only allowed to see four of them.”

The court has fixed August 4 for continuation.