Mr Jalingo, the publisher of the online CrossRiverWatch, has been in prison in Calabar.
He is charged with treason over a report about an alleged diversion of N500 million by the Cross River governor, Ben Ayade.
The journalist, whose arrest and trial has attracted outrage from human rights groups across Nigeria, arrived at the court premises at about 9:18 a.m. in a green coloured van belonging to the Calabar Prison. He was surrounded by four prison officers.
He wore a black T-shirt with the inscription “Journalism Is Not A Crime”, a blue jeans trousers, and a flip-flop.
Mr Jalingo smiled and waved at a handful of journalists who stood by the court premises to show solidarity with him.
He stretched forth his hand and collected a green-coloured muffler from Jonathan Ugbal, the news editor of CrossRiverWatch, who is facing a separate trial, also in Calabar, over the #RevolutionNow protest.
The muffler has the inscription “Great Nigeria” and “I Love Nigeria” on it.
Mr Jalingo, handcuffed to another inmate, was led into the courtroom by the prison officials.
Arrested on August 22, Mr Jalingo spent 34 days in police detention before he was arraigned on September 25.
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