The drama surrounding the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, has again taken a twist with the family seeking the ban of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from covering the proceedings.
Kanu is standing trial for alleged terrorism against the Nigerian state.
In a statement, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, a representative of the Kanu Family, expressed concern over what it called “the continuous shameless manipulation of court proceedings by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the ongoing trial of their son and brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
The family also asked the court to permit live streaming of trial proceedings to guarantee fairness, transparency and accountability.
“It is now beyond question that NAN has abandoned any pretense of professional journalism. They have become the unofficial megaphone of the State Security Services (SSS) and the prosecuting authority, spreading one-sided propaganda, while deliberately ignoring crucial courtroom developments that dismantle the Government’s case.
“Today’s distortion is a case in point. Instead of reporting on the damning cross-examination of government witness PW-BBB—who embarrassingly admitted that no investigation report exists to support the charges against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, NAN chose to publish a useless story about a death certificate.
“This document has zero evidentiary relevance, and its tendering was clearly a diversionary tactic to cover up the implosion of the prosecution’s case.
“We find it unacceptable and improper that NAN is given exclusive access to report court proceedings—particularly when their reports serve only to mislead the public and undermine judicial transparency.
“We therefore call on Justice James Omotosho to immediately ban the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from further courtroom access in this matter for repeated, unethical conduct and biased reporting;
“In the alternative, the court should permit live streaming of the trial proceedings to guarantee fairness, transparency, and accountability.
“Furthermore, we reject the spin being spread regarding DSS allegedly denying Kanu Agabi (SAN) access to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“What occurred in court today was a moment of statesmanship by Kanu Agabi (SAN) — a respected legal elder, former Senator, Attorney-General, and Minister of Justice—who chose not to expose the DSS’s misconduct openly to save the court and its officers from scandal. His restraint should not be misrepresented by a discredited press agency.
“This trial is not just about Mazi Nnamdi Kanu—it is a test of the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary, the independence of the media, and the rule of law in a democracy. Continued distortion of proceedings can only serve to deepen national division and erode public trust.
“The eyes of the world are on Nigeria. Let justice be done—openly and without propaganda” Prince Emmanuel said.
