Human rights watchdog, Amnesty International (AI) has criticized the decision to restrict the number of media outlets allowed to cover the resumed trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, which resumes on Monday.
The Federal High Court in Abuja where the trial will be conducted had in a letter issued on July 23 listed just 10 media outlets as those granted access for coverage of the trial.
The list containing the media outlets permitted to enter the court was served the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force.
In a Twitter post published on Monday, Amnesty International noted that selecting a few journalists to cover the proceedings “violates all fair hearing guarantees”.
“Amnesty International condemns Nigerian authorities’ restriction of the number of journalists that can report the trial of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, which started today in Abuja,” the statement reads.
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“Selecting few journalists to cover the trial is a restriction on access to information and an attempt to deny people the right to know. It also violates all fair hearing guarantees.
“We call on the Nigerian authorities to respect the right to a fair hearing and immediately lift the restriction and allow the media unhindered access to the court to do their job. This is yet another bizarre and unacceptable attack on the Nigerian media that must not stand.”
The IPOB leader was apprehended and extradited to Nigeria to face trial after jumping bail in 2017.
Nnamdi Kanu is being arraigned on charges bordering on treasonable felony leveled against him by the Federal Government for his campaign for a “Republic of Biafra”.
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