An Ogun State High Court Judge, N.I Agbelu, on Tuesday ordered the arrest of seven journalists, claiming the court was not a public place for them to videotape.
The judge ordered the arrest of Daud Olatunji(Vanguard), Samuel Awoyinfa(The Punch), Ernest Nwokolo(The Nation), Abiodun Taiwo(Daily Times) , Sulaiman Fasasi(Nigerian Pilot), Wale Adelaja(TVC) and Johnson Akinpelu(Alaroye).
The reporters had arrived the High Court in Otta to cover a murder case involving an alleged land speculator, Mutairu Owoye.
Mr. Owoye was arraigned over the death of 19-year-old man, Bidemi Akinde, during a land dispute at Oke-Ore community in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of the state.
On arrival, the journalists were accosted by a police orderly who allowed them in after confirming their mission.
Minutes later, the assistant court registrar demanded to know the reporters' mission and asked for a permit issued by the chief judge or a senior judiciary officer permitting them access to the court premises.
After explanations to her, the registrar left, but returned shortly after with an arrest order from the judge.
The journalists were detained for three hours (from 11:45am to 2:44am), inside the administrative wing of the court.
"I put you under arrest. You are under arrest," the judge barked. "You will discover that this compound is fenced round, is that not so? It is not on the major road that you can just come in.
If you are representing the public interest, you must know we have a head in this Court.
"I am a judge, I have an unlimited jurisdiction in the state. I can even say somebody should be arrested without question, but, in exercising my power, I have to inquire into many things," the judge declared while ordering detention of the newsmen.
"You cannot say because you are representing public interest, you cannot just burst into any compound or burst into my house.
You have a right as a journalist, but, where your own stops my own starts. And If I am the owner of a house, I have a right to my privacy, fundamental right to privacy, because I want to educate you. If you want to infringe on my right that is where your own right stops which I am entitled to," the man said.
"What I am saying is that judiciary has its own right too. You are infringing on our own right too. You don't know?
"A report came to me that some people invaded the court claiming that they are journalists filming the whole place.
"It is not a local market and it is not an open market, you are approaching the court. If you are interested in a particular matter in a company, will you just burst into the company, saying you are journalists?
You don't just go into a place and start filming and them saying you are a journalist.
If we said you are trespassing into our land, do you have any defence? Answer me now? I am telling you it is not a public place; I am telling you the court is not a public place," the judge emphasized.
However, an unexpected relief came for the detained journalists, when one of the court's staffers was bitten by a snake which emerged from the court's premises, throwing the court into pandemonium.
Following the confusion, the judge sent away the journalists as officials rushed the injured staff to the state hospital at Otta.
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