SSS bars press from suspected B’Haram members’

Men of the State Security Service on Thursday prevented the press from covering the scheduled arraignment of 17 suspected members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The Federal Government had on Tuesday arraigned four persons for similar offences before Justice Saliu Saidu without the security operatives barring journalists from covering the arraignment.

Though the Thursday's scheduled arraignment was stalled because five of the 17 accused persons did not have lawyers, the SSS officials had ordered journalists out of the courtroom few minutes before the arrival of the presiding judge, Justice Musa Kurya.

According to the court paper numbered, FHC/L/299/13, the suspects were arrested at various locations in Lekki Phase I and Ijora Oloye in Apapa, both in Lagos State, on March 21, 2013 .

The all-male accused persons were allegedly members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect and were also said to be in possession of prohibited explosive substances, firearms and ammunition when they were arrested.

Items which the prosecution claimed were recovered from them included, three packets of explosive construction pipes, and 15 detonators; 11 AK-47 riffle magazines loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition each among other dangerous weapons..

It was learnt that Justice Kurya adjourned the matter till November 27 to enable all the accused persons to procure the services of their lawyers of choice.

All persons, who were not on robe and wig were ordered out of the 20-seat capacity courtroom by the security agents even before the arrival of the judge.

Even some lawyers were excused out of the court room when the accused persons were eventually brought in.

Journalists, who initially resisted the order by the SSS men, were told by one of the officials that "it was an order from the Presidency not to allow the press to cover this case."

One of the armed SSS men threatened to handcuff and lock up the journalists, who had told him that he was "obstructing the press from performing its constitutional duty".