For the second time in about three months, security operatives have barred journalists from covering the case of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
At the last adjourned date in July, there was an altercation between the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and lawyers, as well as journalists.
On Thursday, some of the reporters attached to the court arrived as early as 6am but were prevented from covering the trial.
Although Channels Television’s correspondent and six other journalists were cleared at the main gate of the court, armed DSS operatives at the door of the courtroom denied them entry.
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The operatives insisted their action was based on “order from above”.
One of the DSS operatives, however, claimed that they were waiting for a directive from the trial judge, Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, on how many journalists should be allowed to go in and cover the proceedings.
Another DSS operative, who addressed a few journalists at the entrance of Court 2 – the courtroom where the proceedings took place, stated that they were instructed to ensure journalists remained at the press centre.
According to him, that is where the journalists will be screened – after getting a clearance from the trial judge.
No journalist was eventually allowed into the courtroom to cover the trial.
Meanwhile, a source inside the courtroom notified reporters that the embattled IPOB leader took his fresh plea to the seven amended charges at about 10:45am.
When the charges were read to him, he pleaded not guilty.
Justice Nyako, thereafter, adjourned the case until November 10 to hear Kanu’s application, challenging the competence of the charges.
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