The Department of State Services, DSS, has again, denied journalists access to the court room where trial of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, is expected to resume today.
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.
As a early as 6am when this reporter arrived at the court which is adjacent the Federal Ministry of Justice, heavily armed operatives of the DSS ordered him to turn back.
The hooded operatives, who barricaded all routes leading to the court, equally 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.
As at 8:23am when this report was filed in, the operatives had yet to allow any Journalist to gain access to the court premises.
Similarly, some lawyers and Igbo traditional rulers that arrived the court around 7am, were also turned back.
Other security agents on ground to ensure that no journalist is allowed into the court, were drawn from 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.
Sequel to their instruction, a five-man list, comparising of journalists from the Print, Television, Radio and Online news outlets, among whom included this reporter, was submitted to the court.
However, upon arrival at court on Wednesday, DSS operatives, refused to allow any journalists in.
Effort to persuade the security agents to bulge is still ongoing.
[Vanguard]
