yesterday, to cover the arraignment of the alleged 17 members
of Boko Haram were greeted with humiliation and threat from
men of the Department of State Services, DSS, that escorted
the accused persons.
The journalists were sent out of the courtroom by the armed
security operatives and one of them threatened to arrest the
journalists if they resist.
A senior DSS officer told newsmen that the directive to keep
them away from the arraignment of the suspected Boko Haram
members was from the Presidency.
Other litigants were equally barred from the courtroom. When the
Boko Haram case was called, some lawyers were implored to
leave the court, this, it was gathered, was due to the small size
of the courtroom.
However, the arraignment of the suspected Boko Haram
members, which had suffered two adjournments on October 2
and 9, due to lack of interpreter and the absence of the trial
judge, respectively, could not go on yesterday.
This was because the first to fifth accused persons namely (Ali
Mohammed, Adamu Karumi, Ibrahim Usman, Bala Haruna, Idris Ali)
did not have legal representation.
Presiding judge, Musa Kurya, adjourned the matter till November
27, for the arraignment of the accused persons.
