Magistrate Seizes Phones Belonging To Arise News, TVC News, News Central Reporters Covering Precious Eze’s Trial

Magistrate Waliu Salami of the Ebute Metta Magistrate Court, Lagos, hearing the alleged felony trial of online journalist and publisher of “NewsPlatform” (www.platformng.com), Precious Eze, on Monday confiscated the mobile phones belongimg to three broadcast journalists from TVC News, Arise News and News Central TV covering the trial.

The court on Monday,  the 19th of August, 2024, admitted as exhibit the extra-judicial statement made by the first prosecution witness in the case.

Precious Eze, a journalist, is on trial in Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court on four counts of conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, provoking an offensive publication, and conspiracy to commit felony.

The charges were brought pursuant to sections 411, 168(1)(d), and 57(1)(a), (b), and (c) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015, as he is arraigned following a complaint lodged with police authorities by businessman, Chris Odinaka Igwe, over the defendant’s publications https://www.newsplatformng.com/2024/05/chris-odinaka-igwe-alleged-to-have.html?m=1 Chris Igwe was reported to have opened fire after a dog encounter turned hostile in Lagos’ Victoria Garden City (VGC).

The defendant was detained for more than two weeks before being released on bail, spending five days at the Zone 2 Police Cell and 14 days at Ikoyi Prison while waiting for his bail conditions to be completed.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, police prosecutor Cyril Ejiofor complained about the presence of news reporters in the court promises, which he described as intimidation and harassment of the police, the magistrate court, and the complainant.

He also accused journalists of using their phones to record the hearing.

Despite explanations from journalists from TVC News, News Central, and Arise News that they were only taking notes, Magistrate Waliu Salami ordered them to surrender their phones to the court orderly or leave the courtroom.

The prosecution’s first witness during the continuation of the trial. Moses Joshua Chibunna stated during cross-examination by Barrister Kunle Afolabi of AVOCATS SANS FRONTIERS (ASF), which represents the defendant, that he works in the IT department of the complainant’s company, Mainland Oil and Gas Ltd.

He went on to say that he first saw the post on “Precious Eze’s Blog” before it evolved into newsplatformng.com in an attempt to make stories on the platform go viral.

The witness did not know if the complainant, Chris Odinaka Igwe’s police officer, was present or fired any shots on the day of the incident. However, he was aware that the defendant had published a rejoinder by Mr Igwe stating his side of the controversy (https://www.newsplatformng.com/2024/05/re-violent-attack-on-dr-chris-igwe-md.html?m=1).

The case has been rescheduled for a further hearing on September 13th, 2024.