Officials of the State Security Service (SSS) on Thursday barred journalists from covering the arraignment of 17 suspected Boko Haram members at a Federal High Court, Lagos.
The armed security officers, who threatened to arrest any journalist who flouted their order, also barred other litigants who had matters at the court from entering.
A security operative, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said that the directive to bar journalists from covering the case was from above.
However, the arraignment of the suspected insurgents was stalled because five of them lacked legal representation although the arraignment of the suspects had earlier been postponed on two different occasions following the absence of a Hausa language interpreter and the trial judge.
The case first came up on October 2, 2013, before the accused persons appeared again in court on October 9, 2013, but could not be arraigned.
Justice Musa Kurya, the trial judge, adjourned the case again till November 27, 2013 for the arraignment of the accused because of the absence of a legal representative for five of them.
The names of those without legal representative were given as Ali Mohammed, Adamu Karumi, Ibrahim Usman, Bala Haruna and Idris Ali, while the names of the others charged were given as Mohammed Murtala, Kadiri Mohammed, Mustapha Daura, Abba Duguri, Sanni Adamu, Danjuma Yahaya, and Musa Audu, Mati Daura, Farouk Haruna, Abdullahi Azeez, Ibrahim Bukar and Zula Diani.
The 17 accused, who are standing trial on 18-count charge of conspiracy to commit terrorism, illegal possession of firearms, and being members of a proscribed organisation were alleged to have committed the offences on March 21, 2013 at Plot 5, Road 69, Lekki Phase I Housing Estate, and No. 24, Oyegbeni St., Ijora-Oloye, Apapa-Iganmu, Lagos.
Items recovered from the suspects include three packets of explosive construction pipes, 15 detonators,11 AK47 rifles with 30 rounds of live ammunitions, 200 rounds of 7.6 mm live ammunition, two suit cases containing explosives, as well as a water container filled with explosives.
The offences are contrary to the provisions of Sections 13(2) and 17(b) of the Terrorism Act 2013, and also Sections 1, 8, 27 (1) (a) and (b) of the Firearms (special provisions) Act, Cap F28, Laws of the Federation, 2004, and punishable under Section 8 of the same act.