DSS bars PUNCH, others as Kanu’s trial continues today

The Department of State Services has barred The PUNCH and some media organisations from covering the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, as his trial continues today.

Also barred along with The PUNCH are The Guardian, Vanguard, Daily Trust, Tribune, Daily Sun, The Cable, and Daily Times, among others.

The media organisations the DSS accredited are Daily Post, ThisDay, Premium Times, The Nation, Daily Independent, The Herald, National Television Authority, Television Continental, African Independent Television and Channels Television.

The DSS did not give reasons for picking 10 media houses while barring others from covering the trial.

A call to the DSS spokesman, Dr Peter Afunnaya, rang out, while a text message sent to him on the action of the secret police had yet to be responded to as of the time of writing this report.

However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, who condemned the decision to prevent The PUNCH and other media organisations from covering the trial, said the position of the law was that every trial should be carried out in public and everyone was entitled to watch the proceedings.

He said, “Our legal system does not admit of secret trials. We are not a country of witches and wizards operating in a coven. For a trial to be free and fair, Section 36 of the constitution says it must be carried out openly and publicly. Banning some media houses from covering Nnamdi Kanu’s trial is not only a sin against Section 36 of the constitution, it also violently offends the provision of Section 22 of the same constitution which gives the media the right and responsibility to ensure that the provisions of Chapter Two of the constitution dealing with the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy are upheld and that the government is held accountable to the people of Nigeria.”



Speaking in a similar vein, Remi Olatubora (SAN) said preventing media organisations from performing their constitutional duty ran contrary to the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Chapter Four of the Nigerian Constitution.

Olatubora said, “It is a signal that we are now under a full dictatorship. One serious angle to the barring of a section of the media is whether the trial can still in those circumstances be regarded as trial in the public or a free and fair trial as required by the constitution.”


Also, Boma Alabi (SAN) said, “Generally speaking, the courtroom is a public space, everyone can come in.

“If it is a contentious trial that people can come in and disrupt proceedings, then the court will make arrangements to ensure that the proceedings are not disrupted. It is within the court’s right to do so.”

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ifedayo Adedipe, also questioned the Federal Government’s motives in excluding The PUNCH, and some other national papers from Nnamdi Kanu’s trial.

He said, “It is obvious that The PUNCH has taken a stand against the oppressive nature of this regime and the government now sees the media house as an unfriendly organisation that they do not want to have anything to do with.

“The facts will speak for themselves, whether some newspapers are excluded or not. Nnamdi Kanu is expected to have a fair and open trial and preventing some media houses from being there will not do credit to the image of the government.


“I will advise The PUNCH and other newspapers to keep their heads up and not be discouraged by this government. Some of the issues usually raised by these newspapers are critical national issues. I believe that it is only people who are beneficiaries of nepotism that will say that this government is not oppressive or discriminatory.”

https://punchng.com/dss-bars-punch-others-as-kanus-trial-continues-today/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1dvv7mRQk4ZZyUheHd8WgRmmwnF3DRzLGvNaFfWmfq08H944ch_HOsFys#Echobox=1627256930

Good for them

Other media are there..

So..

Kanu would get a light sentence after the whole court drama

Make them calm down dem go collect update from others.

My own is I want to see Mazi when tried. I want to see the ebubedike 1 of Ibo land. I want to study his face and read his body language. Just 10 minutes of observing him I will be able to tell you everything that is going on in his mind.

I've never seen the mighty fall. this will be the first.
Careless man

Mentions won't bully me. I said what I said. Let me see your pains

Punch has been very brutal with Buhari you think Malami will allow them

E be things

Dis is pure jungle justice.

That useless PDP Newspaper....They should continue licking Igboho's ass....

See sentiment. This country is fast sinking.

Lolz....

toor

MejiLoyon:
Make them calm down dem go collect update from others.

My own is I want to see Mazi when tried. I want to see the ebubedike 1 of Ibo land. I want to study his face and read his body language. Just 10 minutes of observing him I will be able to tell you everything that is going on in his mind.

I've never seen the mighty fall. this will be the first.
Careless man

Ewu Gambia

Clerverly:
That useless PDP Newspaper....They should continue licking Igboho's ass....

u Never still get sense abi....price of goods and foodstuff will continue to increase untill u and other zombies go get sense

iokpebholo:
u Never still get sense abi....price of goods and foodstuff will continue to increase untill u and other zombies go get sense

Is granting biafra AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO BRING FOOD PRICES DOWN ?

What shoud be paramount to EVERYBODY is how prices of food will come down...

Not agitating for biafra

Ohanaeze Ndigbo should also organise a media conference with invited media outlets such as Sahara reporters, Arise TV, BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, Fox news, Jerusalem Post e.t.c.

This media conference should not have NTA , Dailypost present.

The IPOB lawyers can easily be convinced to only answer questions and interact with the media in this Ohanaeze-organised media session to analyse the unfolding of the case. IPOB lawyers should shun answering questions thrown at them from these government-approved media houses. It takes two to tango

The Igbo intelligentsia should be very proactive in countering such moves. It will take the shine off the government-manipulated media event.

The federal govt are keeping grudges. They hvnt forgotten about the "General Saga"

In other news, I go this screenshot from fb, and I wonder how someone born of a woman could accurately predict live games.

Coming back

Nigerians will hail u only when u ve not been caught, immediately u are caught ehn just forget it u no get supporters

darocha1:
10 Don do
There's 3rd wave of covid20

Antoeni:
The courtroom is not big enough to accomodate a football match
It's a big trial with plenty of lawyers, so what is wrong reducing the numbers of unnecessary people in the courtroom?

You sane, honest and hardworking members have said it all.

louqas:


Is granting biafra AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO BRING FOOD PRICES DOWN ?

What shoud be paramount to EVERYBODY is how prices of food will come down...

Not agitating for biafra

SHUT UP!!!

Okay

post=104100858:
Reading

SHUT UP!!!

WonderManly:
DSS bars PUNCH, others as Kanu’s trial continues today

The Department of State Services has barred The PUNCH and some media organisations from covering the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, as his trial continues today.

Also barred along with The PUNCH are The Guardian, Vanguard, Daily Trust, Tribune, Daily Sun, The Cable, and Daily Times, among others.

The media organisations the DSS accredited are Daily Post, ThisDay, Premium Times, The Nation, Daily Independent, The Herald, National Television Authority, Television Continental, African Independent Television and Channels Television.

The DSS did not give reasons for picking 10 media houses while barring others from covering the trial.

A call to the DSS spokesman, Dr Peter Afunnaya, rang out, while a text message sent to him on the action of the secret police had yet to be responded to as of the time of writing this report.

However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, who condemned the decision to prevent The PUNCH and other media organisations from covering the trial, said the position of the law was that every trial should be carried out in public and everyone was entitled to watch the proceedings.

He said, “Our legal system does not admit of secret trials. We are not a country of witches and wizards operating in a coven. For a trial to be free and fair, Section 36 of the constitution says it must be carried out openly and publicly. Banning some media houses from covering Nnamdi Kanu’s trial is not only a sin against Section 36 of the constitution, it also violently offends the provision of Section 22 of the same constitution which gives the media the right and responsibility to ensure that the provisions of Chapter Two of the constitution dealing with the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy are upheld and that the government is held accountable to the people of Nigeria.”



Speaking in a similar vein, Remi Olatubora (SAN) said preventing media organisations from performing their constitutional duty ran contrary to the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Chapter Four of the Nigerian Constitution.

Olatubora said, “It is a signal that we are now under a full dictatorship. One serious angle to the barring of a section of the media is whether the trial can still in those circumstances be regarded as trial in the public or a free and fair trial as required by the constitution.”


Also, Boma Alabi (SAN) said, “Generally speaking, the courtroom is a public space, everyone can come in.

“If it is a contentious trial that people can come in and disrupt proceedings, then the court will make arrangements to ensure that the proceedings are not disrupted. It is within the court’s right to do so.”

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ifedayo Adedipe, also questioned the Federal Government’s motives in excluding The PUNCH, and some other national papers from Nnamdi Kanu’s trial.

He said, “It is obvious that The PUNCH has taken a stand against the oppressive nature of this regime and the government now sees the media house as an unfriendly organisation that they do not want to have anything to do with.

“The facts will speak for themselves, whether some newspapers are excluded or not. Nnamdi Kanu is expected to have a fair and open trial and preventing some media houses from being there will not do credit to the image of the government.


“I will advise The PUNCH and other newspapers to keep their heads up and not be discouraged by this government. Some of the issues usually raised by these newspapers are critical national issues. I believe that it is only people who are beneficiaries of nepotism that will say that this government is not oppressive or discriminatory.”

https://punchng.com/dss-bars-punch-others-as-kanus-trial-continues-today/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1dvv7mRQk4ZZyUheHd8WgRmmwnF3DRzLGvNaFfWmfq08H944ch_HOsFys#Echobox=1627256930

This is not democracy I swear.
Give power to women in 2023 let's see what women are capable of.

Am okay with premium times
They will do their best in reporting right

We are not practicing democracy in Nigeria at all,haba,why barring a Media house for coverage if there is nothing hidden there ,wicked government

Nawa