Premium Times Journalist Harassed By DSS Operatives For Taking Pictures Of Activists Arrested At Dunamis Church
On Wednesday at Mpape Magistrate Court in Abuja, operatives of the Department of State Services harassed Ameh Ekwonyilo, a journalist with the online publication Premium Times, for photographing five activists arrested at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre for wearing T-shirts with the slogan #BuhariMustGo.
The reporter, who was in court to cover the activists’ trial, was harassed and had his phone taken by the armed officers stationed on the premises.
The trouble began when a journalist attempted to photograph the campaigners shortly after they were granted bail by the court.
One of the hooded DSS operatives escorted him to the courtroom and took his cellphone.
Officers rushed on him and threatened to arrest him, while the team’s leader deleted all of the pictures on the phone.
The journalist insisted that snapping images of the defendants on the court grounds did not constitute a crime, and that he was under no need to seek permission from the police before carrying out his constitutional duties as a journalist.
It took the intervention of the activists’ lawyer, who pleaded with the officers to release the journalist’s phone.
According to SaharaReporters, the activists were charged with five charges touching on criminal conspiracy with the intent to cause a breach of the peace and disturb the public order, a crime punishable under Section 114 of the Penal Code Law CAP 89 LFN 1990.
Ben Mannaseh, Emmanuel Larry, Victor Udoka Anene, a blind saxophonist, Samuel Gabriel Iwatonaiye, and Henry Nwodo were among the campaigners who had been held illegally for 25 days.
Their families and lawyers were denied access.
The activists were granted bail of N500,000 by the Chief Magistrate, Mohammed Zubairu, with one surety in the same amount who must show his or her National Identity Card to the court.
