Nnamdi Kanu: FG Calls First Witness in Fresh Terrorism Trial

•Court allows witnesses to testify behind Camera  

•Call for self-determination not a crime, says accused

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The federal government, yesterday, commenced its fresh prosecution of detained Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, by calling its first witness, an operative of the Department of the State Service (DSS).

Kanu, who has been in custody of the DSS for nearly four years, was last month arraigned afresh before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a seven count charge bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism.

His re-arraignment was due to the withdrawal of the former judge, Justice Binta Nyako, who stepped aside after Kanu accused her of bias.

He pleaded not guilty to all the seven count charges, following which the court fixed April 29 and May 2, for trial.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, the witness, code-named, PWAAA by Justice James Omotosho, for security reasons, narrated how the secret service, acting on intelligence, deployed an 8-man team to a hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, on October 15, 2015, where Kanu was first arrested.

According to the witness, items found on the defendant at the point of his arrest included IPOB pamphlets, IPOB complementary cards, laptops, IPADS, microphones, microphone stand, flash drives, power adaptor for mixers, various brands of phones, perfumes, ATM cards, and wrist-watch, among others in his hotel room and recorded.

The said items in four bags were presented before the court and admitted as exhibits since Kanu’s lawyers did not objected to their admittance.

Speaking further, the witness informed the court that the interrogation of Kanu was video recorded which was also played in the open court and admitted as exhibits along with his written statement.

However, in his written statement read in the open court by the witness, Kanu admitted fighting for emancipation of his people and that the call for self-determination was his fundamental right and not a crime.

He insisted that his fight for the emancipation of the South East, South South and parts of Benue and Kogi States was his fundamental right and not terrorism as alleged by the federal government.

Kanu, in the statement made to DSS in Lagos on October 15, 2015 made it clear that freedom fighting was not a crime in any part of the world including Nigeria because it was a fundamental right, citing relevant laws in the statement.

 He also wrote in the statement that he made it to DSS without the presence of his lawyer as required by law.

In the statement and video clips, Kanu admitted establishing and operating Radio Biafra in London, where it was registered.

He admitted not registering the radio station with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in Nigeria because there was no need for it having not established in the country.

In concluding his evidence, the witness told the court that Kanu admitted to DSS to be founder and leader of IPOB.

He also said the defendant admitted establishing, operating Radio Biafra and that he did not register the radio station with NBC in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Justice James Omotosho has fixed May 2, 2025 for cross-examination of the witness.

Earlier, the court granted permission to witnesses of the federal government to testify against Kanu, behind camera.

The permission was sequel to an ex-parte application filed by the federal government’s lead counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, to that effect.

The federal government predicated the exparte application for the protection of the identities of the witnesses on security reasons.

The senior lawyer informed the court that the charges against Kanu bothered on terrorism, hence, the need to protect the witnesses.

He, in addition, asked that the name of the witnesses be shielded from the public for the general reasons of security.

Due to no objection from Kanu’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi SAN, Justice Omotosho granted the request.

Kanu’s lawyer, however, requested for similar cooperation from the federal government when bail application for Kanu would be argued.