Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has barred Mrs. Favour Kanu, the sister-in-law of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, from attending court sessions after she was caught livestreaming the court’s proceedings.
The judge issued the order on Tuesday after confirming that Favour had recorded and published the courtroom session on her social media platform, an act considered a violation of courtroom protocols.
“You cannot turn this court into a theatre for social media,” Justice Omotosho said sternly. “This is a serious breach of courtroom decorum, and I will not tolerate such misconduct.”
Although the judge noted that the action was contemptuous, he refrained from holding her in contempt following a passionate appeal from lead defence counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN). Instead, he barred her from attending the next three sittings of the court.
Before the decision was handed down, Justice Omotosho summoned Favour to explain her actions. She admitted to streaming the court session live but claimed she was unaware that proceedings were ongoing at the time.
“I didn’t realize the judge had resumed sitting,” she said, apologizing for her actions and promising not to repeat the offense.
More to come…
