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The Department of State Services (DSS) has accredited only ten media organisations to cover the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) slated for Monday, July 26th.
Kanu, re-arrested in controversial circumstances in Kenya, is facing charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, illegal possession of arms, among others, before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
DSS, which has kept Kanu in its custody, restricted the number of media organisations to cover the trial to 10, to limit its coverage.
The media houses accredited are Daily Post, Premium Times, Thisday, The Nation, The Herald, Daily Independent, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), TVC , AIT and Channels.
However, Chidi Odinkalu in faulting the move of the DSS, said this is not allowed under Nigeria’s constitution.
He said on his Twitter handle late Sunday that “The assertion by the SSS, therefore, to “accredit media for purposes of covering a trial in #Nigeria is clearly not allowed under the constitution & violates the principle of separation of powers. If the judiciary chooses not to defend itself,@NigBarAssoc shd not let this lie.
“From what I understand, SSS presented a list which has bn rubber-stamped under the name of an information officer in the Federal High Court. This officer does not, however, have powers of a court. Only the court undertaking the trial has this power to exclude anyone from a trial.”