Following the ongoing trial of leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, a Civil Society Organisation, Concerned Nigerians, on Friday, expressed sadness and wrote a letter to the Director General, State Security Services, Yusuf Bichi, over alleged unlawful blockage of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
The letter with subject ‘Nnamdi Kanu: Unlawful Blockage of the Federal High Court by Security Agencies’ calling attention of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Alkali Baba, and copied Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, National Security Adviser, and Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, was signed by Convener of CN, Comrade Deji Adeyanju.
The letter reads in part, “We write, with great sadness, to draw your attention to the reoccurring and unlawful blockage of the Federal High Court, Abuja, by security agencies, particularly officers from the State Security Services, anytime Nnamdi Kanu’s case or other “high profile” cases comes up for trial, as was observed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on October 21, 2021 when Nnamdi Kanu’s case came up for trial.
“You may note that section 36(3) and (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, clearly provides that the court room shall be accessible to members of the public. However, contrary to the aforementioned provisions, your officers have developed the habit blocking all access to the court courtroom, during the so “high profile” cases, thereby denying members of the public, including lawyers and litigants, access to the court room,” it stated.
The letter also pointed that Nigerians are under democracy and the constitution remains supreme.
“Kindly be reminded that despite the deteriorating state of our constitutional democracy, we are still under a civilian rule where the Constitution reigns supreme over all persons and institutions. It is on the basis of the foregoing that we send you this timely reminder, urging you to direct your officers to desist from further desecrating or blocking access to our Courts, which remains one of the symbols of our democracy. Please accept our professional regards while we urge you to protect our democracy,” it concluded.
(Vanguard)
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