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Nnamdi Kanu's Trial: MRA Faults DSS Accreditation Of Media Houses

Nnamdi Kanu's Trial: MRA Faults DSS Accreditation Of Media Houses 
BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja 
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has faulted the accreditation of 10 media houses by the Department of State Services (DSS) to cover the trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

This is even as the organisation described the move as an abuse of power and an affront to media freedom.

The DSS had released a list of accredited media organisations consisting of: The Nation newspaper, Daily Independent newspaper, The Herald newspaper, ThisDay newspaper, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Channels Television, Africa Independent Television (AIT), TVC Communications, Premium Times, and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), meant to cover the trial. 

A statement made available to newsmen today by the Programme Director of MRA, Mr Ayode Longe revealed that the DSS lacked the powers to determine any media organisation that should cover proceedings in a court of law, saying that the action is unlawful and unconstitutional. 

He said that it's an abuse of power, designed to intimidate the media and possibly the court, a situation that undermined the fairness of the trial as guaranteed by the constitution.”

According to him, "Even if there is a legitimate reason to restrict the number of journalists that should cover the trial for any reason but the fact that DSS is behind the prosecution of Mr. Kanu before the court and therefore has a vested interest in the outcome of the trial, makes it the worst agency to determine any media organisation that should cover the trials". 

He stated that irrespective of DSS's constitutionally powers, that the agency is limited by the National Security Agencies (NSA) Act, which stated that it should not operate in a lawless manner and intimidate other democratic institutions like the courts and the media. 

Longe added, "The functions of the DSS as contained in Section 2(3) of the NSA Act are the prevention and detection of any crime against the internal security and preservation of all non-military classified matters concerning the internal security and such other responsibilities affecting internal security within Nigeria as the National Assembly or the President may deem necessary".

He said that the Nigerian Police is empowered by section 4 of the Police Act to, among other things: prevent and detect crimes, and to maintain public safety, law and order, describing the actions of the DSS as an unwarranted restriction on the right to a public trial as guaranteed by section 36(3) and (4) of the constitution.

The programme director stated that if it's necessary to exclude any person from the court’s proceedings for any of the reasons stated in section 36(4)(a) of the constitution, that only the court is empowered to make the decision.

In addition, he added that under section 36(4)(b) of the constitution which recognised that it might sometimes be necessary in the public interest for some matters before the court not to be publicly disclosed, that the court itself is the institution vested with the power to decide whether to hear evidence relating to such matters in private after due consultation with a federal minister or a State commissioner. 

He said that no other institution or DSS, except the court should determine who should be allowed to witness judicial proceedings being held in the public. 

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