The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has assured that the court’s management would work out ways to end the disruption in court activities witnessed any day the trial of the self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu comes up.
Justice Tsoho said the court’s management was aware of the challenge and its effect on court staff and other court users and was considering options to be adopted to ameliorate the discomfort experienced whenever the case comes up.
The Chief Judge gave the assurance on Thursday while receiving some members of the Abuja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), led by Moses Ebute (SAN), who was in his office.
The visiting lawyers had spoken about what they called the discomfort lawyers experience any day the Kanu case is being heard.
They noted that lawyers, in most instances, are prevented by security operatives from accessing the court premises even though they have cases to attend to in other courtrooms within the court complex.
The lawyers suggested options, which include the possible movement of the trial to another venue, conducting it on Saturday or adopting the virtual hearing method as a way to address the current challenge.
Justice Tsoho promised to consider the lawyers’ suggestions, adding that the court’s management would come up with an option that will be to the benefit of all.
Kanu is being tried before the court on a 15-count amended treasonable felony charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
At every hearing, security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the State Security Service (SSS) always turn up in large number, condoning off all reads leading to the court.
They subject court staff, lawyers and other court users to rigorous screening and deny most people access to the court premises.
The development often affects the activities of other courts within the same Federal High Court complex.
Offices and business around the court environment also suffer because, with the heavy presence of security operatives and their blockage of the roads around the court, the area becomes deserted.
Bothered by the development the trial judge in the Kanu case, Justice Binta Nyako ensured that the last proceedings conducted on February 16 started from 1pm.
The security operatives were not allowed to activate their security measures until 1pm as against the practice in the past where they cordon off all roads leading to the court building as early as 6am.
