Nnamdi Kanu Trail: DSS Denies Journalists Access to Court Room

The Department of State Services has again denied journalists access to the courtroom where the trial of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, will be held.

Heavily armed security operatives have turned back journalists from entering the court premises.

The hooded operatives reportedly barred both print and broadcast Journalists from major media organizations from entering the court premises.

“We are working on instruction. We can’t let you people in”, one of the operatives told newsmen.

Similarly, some lawyers and Igbo traditional rulers that arrived at the court were also turned back.

Other security agents on the ground include men of the Nigerian Police Force, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Officials of the court had after a meeting it held with leaders of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents, NAJUC, on Tuesday, disclosed that Justice Nyako insisted that she would only allow five journalists into the courtroom.

Meanwhile, a five-man list, comprising of journalists from the Print, Television, Radio, and Online news outlets had been earlier submitted to the court.

However, upon arrival at court on Wednesday, DSS operatives refused to allow any journalists in.

An effort to persuade the security agents to bulge is still ongoing.

Kanu, who was re-arraigned before trial Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, is facing a seven-count amended treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him.

The Nigerian government had in the amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, which was signed by a team of government lawyers led by the Director, Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr. M. B. Abubakar, alleged that Kanu had in furtherance of an act of terrorism, issued a deadly threat that anyone that flouted his sit-at-home order should write his or her will.

The Nigerian government alleged that as a result of Kanu’s directive, banks, schools, markets, shopping malls, fuel stations were not opened for businesses, with vehicular movements grounded in the South East region of the country.

It said the action amounted to an offense contrary to and punishable under 1(2) (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.

The Nigerian government equally lined up five witnesses to testify in the matter, among whom are officials of the DSS and one Ronald S. who was identified as the manager of a Hotel in Lagos.