By Chioma Iruke
Leader of Nigeria’s proscribed group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has pleaded not guilty to the seven-count amended charges the Nigerian Government preferred against him.
After the charges were read in the open at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, the embattled IPOB leader pleaded not guilty before Justice Binta Nyako who he was docked before.
Meanwhile, the country’s Department of State Services (DSS) blatantly refused to allow even a single Journalist inside the courtroom as the high profile case commenced.
Although seven other Journalists were initially cleared at the main gate of the court to enter the premises, upon his arrival at the door leading to the courtroom, arm-wielding operatives of the secret service denied them entry.
The operatives insisted their action was based on “order from above”.
They made it clear that no Journalist would be allowed to enter the courtroom till the end of the proceedings.
“You people can go to your press center and wait till the end of the matter, after then, you will receive briefing on what happened,” one of the hooded operatives stated.
It would be recalled that Nigerian officials on June 29 claimed Kanu was extradited to Nigeria to face trial after he jumped bail and went on the run in 2017.
