Chaos at Anambra High Court as Loyalists of Cleric Facing Abduction, Murder Charges Assault Journalists

Pandemonium broke out within the sacred premises of the Anambra State High Court on Thursday when aggressive loyalists of Pastor Harrison Anazodo unleashed violence against press correspondents carrying out their constitutional duties. The cleric, who is currently standing trial over grave allegations including criminal abduction and murder, had appeared before the bench for scheduled proceedings when his retinue of followers turned against observers.

According to eyewitness accounts and court correspondents present at the scene, the hostility began as reporters attempted to record visual and audio documentation of the proceedings and the accused clergyman's movement within public judicial spaces. Irked by the heightened media scrutiny surrounding the high-profile criminal litigation, several agitated followers allegedly charged at the journalists, raining abuses before physically attacking them.

During the ensuing melee, multiple recording smartphones, digital cameras, and working tools belonging to the working press were forcibly seized, smashed on the concrete floors, and confiscated. The sudden descent into violence left court staffers and non-partisan litigants scrambling for safety, transforming what should have been an orderly administration of justice into a theater of intimidation.

Security personnel stationed within the court complex were reportedly stretched thin as they scrambled to bring the volatile situation under control, eventually escorting the shaken correspondents away from the advancing mob. Despite the disruption, legal representatives and judicial officers managed to convene amid palpable tension and heightened security presence.