An Ogun State High Court Judge, N.I Agbelu, on Tuesday ordered
the arrest of seven journalists, claiming the court was not a public place for
them to videotape.
The judge ordered the arrest of Daud
Olatunji(Vanguard), Samuel Awoyinfa(The Punch), Ernest Nwokolo(The Nation),
Abiodun Taiwo(Daily Times) , Sulaiman Fasasi(Nigerian Pilot), Wale Adelaja(TVC)
and Johnson Akinpelu(Alaroye).
The reporters had arrived the High Court in
Otta to cover a murder case involving an alleged land speculator, Mutairu
Owoye.
Mr. Owoye was arraigned over the death of
19-year-old man, Bidemi Akinde, during a land dispute at Oke-Ore community in
Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of the state.
On arrival, the journalists were accosted
by a police orderly who allowed them in after confirming their mission.
Minutes later, the assistant court registrar
demanded to know the reporters’ mission and asked for a permit issued by the
chief judge or a senior judiciary officer permitting them access to the court
premises.
After explanations to her, the registrar left,
but returned shortly after with an arrest order from the judge.
The journalists were detained for three hours
(from 11:45am to 2:44am), inside the administrative wing of the court.
“I put you under arrest. You are under
arrest,” the judge barked. “You will discover that this compound is fenced
round, is that not so? It is not on the major road that you can just come
in. If you are representing the public interest, you must know we have a
head in this Court.
“I am a judge, I have an unlimited
jurisdiction in the state. I can even say somebody should be arrested
without question, but, in exercising my power, I have to inquire into many
things,” the judge declared while ordering detention of the newsmen.
“You cannot say because you are representing
public interest, you cannot just burst into any compound or burst into my
house. You have a right as a journalist, but, where your own stops my own starts.
And If I am the owner of a house, I have a right to my
privacy, fundamental right to privacy, because I want to educate
you. If you want to infringe on my right that is where your own right stops
which I am entitled to,” the man said.
“What I am saying is that judiciary has its
own right too. You are infringing on our own right too. You don’t know?
“A report came to me that some
people invaded the court claiming that they are journalists filming the whole
place.
“It is not a local market and it is not an
open market, you are approaching the court. If you are interested in a
particular matter in a company, will you just burst into the
company, saying you are journalists? You don’t just go into a place and
start filming and them saying you are a journalist. If we said you are
trespassing into our land, do you have any defence? Answer me now? I am
telling you it is not a public place; I am telling you the court is not a
public place,” the judge emphasized.
However, an unexpected relief came for the detained
journalists, when one of the court’s staffers was bitten by a snake which
emerged from the court’s premises, throwing the court into pandemonium.
Following the confusion,
the judge sent away the journalists as officials rushed the injured
staff to the state hospital at Otta.
- Premium Times
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