Gagging of the press by security agents was brought to the fore when a Court duty Policewoman prevented Journalists from covering proceedings by shutting the door of a Federal High Court number one sitting in Benin city.
The Journalists waited outside the Court room patiently and we’re told by the police on duty that there was no space for them to sit on.
When the fraud case involving the former scepter bearer to the oba of Benin was called at about 1:30 pm, the Court duty Police, identified as Felicia, immediately shut the door to the Court that was open since 8am.
Upon enquiry, she insisted that it is her duty to say who will or will not enter the Court room.
The celebrated case came up after about eighteen other matters were dispensed with for the day, thus reducing the numbers of court attendees inside the court room, whereas, the court duty Policewoman insisted that the court room was still filled to capacity.
Asked what necessitated shutting of the door at that point in time, she said nobody can teach her to do her job, emphasizing that she had orders to bar Journalists from covering the Court proceedings.
The fraud case involving Roland Osagbaekhoe Omo Ogbebor was earlier slated for argument on his bail.
The Defendant was alleged to have used his company to defraud a victim to the tune of thirty one million naira under the pretence of selling some percels of land for him I Okhuoromi community.
The Defendant was arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and was consequently remanded in the Correctional Centre on February 9, 2022 by the Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice S.M. Shuaibu.
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