Buhari bans media from covering Nnamdi Kanu’s trial

President Muhammadu Buhari through the Department of State Services (DSS) has banned media organizations in Nigeria from covering Nnamdi Kanu’s trial.

The DSS approved only ten media organizations for the coverage of the IPOB leader’s trial slated for today, Monday, July 26.

Those accredited include Daily Post, Premium Times, Thisday, The Nation, The Herald, and Daily Independent newspapers while the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) is leading the broadcast side.

Other broadcast media are Channels Television, Africa Independent Television, and TVC.

Kanu, who was re-arrested in controversial circumstances in faraway Kenya, will be facing charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, illegal possession of arms, among others, before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

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DSS, which has kept Kanu in its custody, restricted the number of media organisations to cover the trial to 10, to limit its coverage.

Meanwhile a human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore has described the action of DSS to censor and limit the media coverage of the trial as an affront and crime on the press freedom, adding that the DSS has no right to accredit journalists covering the trial.

He tweeted, “DSS has no right to accredit journalists covering #FreeDunamis5 #FreeNnamdiKanuNow. Lawless DSS has ‘accredited’ only 10 media houses to cover @MaziNnamdiKanu’s trial, it will be a shame and a crime against #freepress for any independent news source to apply to DSS for accreditation. This is highly condemnable and embarrassing! #BuhariMustGo #RevolutionNow.

“These media houses must withdraw from this sabotage of free press. The DSS has no right to engage in the accreditation of media houses to cover a public trial in a Federal High Court in Nigeria. The judiciary should be ashamed that its independence has been compromised completely by the executive.”