The Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday after security operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly barred and harassed several lawyers, including prominent legal practitioner Tosin Ojaomo, from accessing the court premises.
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In an audio recording now circulating online, Ojaomo is heard voicing his frustration over being denied entry despite having a listed case before the court. The lawyer, visibly upset, vowed to escalate the matter to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), stating, “I will escalate it to the NBA. I have a case listed today, and they claim I must be cleared before I can access the court.”
Ojaomo also alleged that DSS officers were stationed throughout the premises and refused to speak to him or provide any justification for the action. He expressed concern about the increasing pattern of lawyers being prevented from performing their professional duties, describing the experience as humiliating.
“This recurring embarrassment must stop. DSS has no authority to screen a lawyer from accessing a court. Lawyers cannot be prevented from doing their jobs. The court is our workshop,” Ojaomo said.
Another lawyer confirmed experiencing similar treatment, stating that he was profiled, interrogated, and threatened by DSS personnel for over 30 minutes before eventually being allowed into the court.
According to sources, after stepping out of the office of the NBA General Secretary, Dr. Adesina Adegbite Ojibara, a lawyer was told that the association is aware of the matter and has taken it up with the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. However, the Chief Judge reportedly denied giving the directive for the DSS blockade, attributing it instead to a federal government order.
NBA President Afam Osigwe, SAN, also acknowledged the situation, reportedly stating, “That is the situation we have found ourselves in.” One affected lawyer claimed he was told by DSS operatives that he had been “banned” from entering the court and that “even if I like, I should call President Tinubu. Nobody can change the decision.”
Another disturbing account involved a lawyer who was reportedly arrested for filming the incident, with his mobile phone allegedly seized by the DSS.
“This is incurably bad. Lawyers that have matters in court can no longer go to court? Even if I do not have a case in court, am I not allowed to file processes or do other things related to my practice?” one of the lawyers lamented.
The controversy comes on the heels of a recent warning issued by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court. Ahead of the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nyako had cautioned the DSS against taking over the court’s premises and surrounding roads, stating that such measures disrupt other court proceedings.
Kanu is facing a 15-count charge of treasonable felony and is expected back in court on Wednesday. In previous sessions, security forces including the DSS, police, and army had shut down access to the court, often refusing entry to journalists and lawyers not listed on official schedules.
In her directive, Justice Nyako had ordered the DSS to delay taking control of the court’s security until 12 noon on the day of Kanu’s trial to allow other cases to be heard earlier in the day. She further instructed the DSS Director of Legal Services to convey the court’s position to top authorities within the agency.
Despite these judicial warnings, reports from Wednesday’s incident indicate that similar overreach by security agencies has continued, prompting renewed outrage within the legal community and calls for immediate intervention by the NBA and relevant authorities.
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