Nigeria’s secret police, Department of State Services on Friday brought over 200 thugs to court as the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu resumes.
Kanu is expected to appear in the Federal High Court, Abuja today (Friday), in continuation of his trial.
Nationnewslead observed that the secret police came to the court with a truckload of thugs while denying lawyers, court workers, journalists, activists and supporters access to the court premises.
It was gathered that the thugs arrived at the court premises with clubs, machetes, gasoline bombs and other weapons.
Sources told our correspondent that DSS officers had instructed the thugs to specifically target human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore and attack anyone who openly shows support for Kanu.
“The DSS brought out over 200 thugs to court. While denying access to lawyers and some court workers, the secret police gave access to the thugs armed with gasoline bombs, swords, machetes and clubs,” one of the sources told Nationnewslead.
Another source noted that he sighted a DSS officer meeting with the thugs and passing instructions to them.
“An elderly DSS official working with policemen in mufti from the Federal Secretariat police station met with the thugs this morning in front of ‘Abia House’ around the court,” the source said.
“They gave instructions to the thugs to fight anyone who openly demonstrates in support of the IPOB leader.
“The officer told them to specifically target human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore who has regularly attended the court trial and had been frequently violently attacked by government agents within the court area.”
Sowore has been attacked in the presence of DSS and police officers many times on the court premises while the security agents look on.
Though Sowore has repeatedly asked for justice regarding the multiple assaults, none of the thugs has been arrested or charged to court by the police.
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja, Justice John Tsoho, had released a new practice direction for the trial of terrorism suits before the Court, such as the case of Kanu.
Justice Tsoho stated that the new practice direction is in the exercise of his constitutional powers as contained in Section 254 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
The Federal High Court on Thursday stated this in a directory referred to as “Practice Directions On Trial of Terrorism Cases,” obtained by Nationnewslead.
By this new directive, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice Tsoho further noted that “the distance and size of perimeters to be secured for the trial shall be determined based on the recommendation of security agencies on a case-by-case basis.” Continue Reading
