Trending 
The Federal High Court judge in Abuja, Joyce Abdulmalik, has barred journalists from covering the prosecution of six suspected coup plotters.
Some journalists had arrived at the court shortly after 8 am and secured seats at the back of the courtroom ahead of proceedings. However, just minutes before the sitting, a court official announced that anyone without a seat should leave, as the judge would not allow loitering during proceedings.
While lawyers and other attendees without seats were exiting, another court official, accompanied by a security operative, approached the seated journalists and ordered them to leave the courtroom.
The journalists asked for the reason for the directive, and the officials said it came from the presiding judge. Following this act, journalists objected, arguing that the trial was of public interest and that there was no court order excluding the media from the proceedings. However, the officials insisted that they were acting on the judge’s orders.
As soon as the journalists left, the courtroom doors were locked. Then, Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, arrived at the court around 10:35 am and moved to Court 6, where the trial is progressing.
Recall that on January 23, Abdulmalik ordered a reporter with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) out of the courtroom during proceedings in two separate suits involving factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). That same day, the judge then asked the reporter to identify himself and after the reporter admitted he was a journalist without a seat, he ordered him to leave.
