Personnel of the Nigerian police and the Department of State Service recruited armed thugs to infiltrate the supporters of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to attack human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, and some journalists during Kanu's trial at the Federal High Court Abuja, SaharaReporters has learnt.
At the resumed hearing of the trumped-up amended 15-count charge against the IPOB leader by the Nigerian government on Tuesday, some supporters had converged on the Federal Ministry of Justice premises as early as 8 am in solidarity with their leader.
In what can be described as a show of force by the lawless armed DSS Operatives and the police, the security agents cordoned off the perimeter and blocked all the access roads leading to the court premises.
Some journalists, whose names were not in the accredited media list, were also denied access into the court's premises.
After a heated argument ensued between the media and the security personnel, the journalists decided to maintain a distance from the DSS operatives as they mounted their cameras in front of Bayelsa House to enable them to get their shots.
Sowore has been one of the vocal voices condemning the re-arrest and repatriation of Kanu to Nigeria.
He had called for the unconditional release of the leader of the separatist group, who was abducted in Kenya and forcefully returned to Nigeria.