Judge detains journalists, snake bites man in Ogun court

There was a mild drama in Ota Division of Ogun State High Court on Tuesday as Justice N.I. Agbelu ordered the detention of seven journalists for covering proceedings at the High Court without clearance.
The journalists – Daud Olatunji (Vanguard), Samuel Awoyinfa (The Punch), Ernest Nwokolo (The Nation), Abiodun Taiwo (Daily Times), Suleiman Fasasi (Nigerian Pilot), Wale Adelaja (TVC) and Johnson Akinpelu (Alaroye) – were at Ota High Court 1 in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area to cover the trial of a murder suspect when the incident happened.
They were detained for close to three hours inside the administrative wing of the court before the judge ordered that they be released with a stern warning not to turn the premises to a public place.
As the drama was going on, a green snake emerged from the nearby bush and bit one of the male visitors.
This caused pandemonium as lawyers, prosecuting and defence counsel, court officials and security agents ran helter skelter.
Efforts to kill the snake proved futile as it disappeared mysteriously.
The man who was bitten was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.
When the journalists arrived in two vehicles, a policeman accosted them to know their mission.
When they told him they were in the court to cover a murder case, the policeman went inside to discuss with a female Assistant Court Registrar who came out immediately, demanding for their letter of authority from the Chief Judge or a senior judicial officer permitting them to cover the day’s proceedings.
When they told her that they didn’t need a letter to cover court proceedings, she went to inform the judge.
She returned with some policemen and ordered their arrest in the name of the judge.
After three hours, Justice Agbelu invited the detained journalists to his office and told them the court is not a public place.
“As journalists, 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. You have a right as journalists, but where your own stops, my own starts.
“What I am saying is that judiciary has its own right too. You are infringing on our own right. 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 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? That is what I am telling you. You don’t just go into a place, start filming and then say you are a journalist”.