BEVERLY HILLS, August 16, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian police has commenced the trial of journalist Samuel Ogundipe, on Wednesday, while denying him access to his lawyers.
The police arraigned Ogundipe at a Magistrate Court in Kubwa on Wednesday afternoon and he was charged with criminal trespass and theft of police document.
Ibrahim Idris, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), reportedly ordered his arrest over a story on Lawal Daura, sacked director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The police had reportedly asked Ogundipe to disclose how he obtained the letter IGP wrote to Acting President Yemi Osinnajo on Daura but the journalist declined in line with the ethics of the profession.
Ogundipe was then secretly taken to the Kubwa magistrate court where he was tried.
Even though he repeatedly told the police that he would, as legally allowed, need to contact his lawyers or his employer before going to court, the police refused.
The magistrate then gave an order that he be detained for five more days, till August 20 and ordered that he be allowed to make a call while within the court premises.
It was the phone of a court official that Ogundipe used to contact his editor-in-chief.
“They brought me to a magistrate court in Kubwa where they arraigned me. The magistrate said they should detain me for five days.
“They accused me of criminal trespass. They said I stole secret documents. The magistrate does not know the details, because they did not include in the charge that I am a journalist. I was not allowed to contact my lawyers.
“They also did not allow me to call anyone until the magistrate ordered them to let me make one call.
“I am currently using the registrar’s phone to make this call and they are collecting it,” he said just before the call ended.
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