Kanu’s trial commences, FG 7 witnesses to testify under shield
By Andrew Orolua
The long awaited proper trial of the Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu commenced on Tuesday with a federal government witness testifying under a shield and identity not disclosed to the public.
Six other witnesses are expected to testify for prosecution during the trial under shield in line with approval of the trial court judge, James Omotosho who on Tuesday adjourned the further hearing till May 2, 2025 to enable defendants lawyer Godwin Kanu Agabi SAN, cross examine the prosecution witness identified as PWAAA . The witness gave his testimony on Tuesday.
Justice Omotosho on Tuesday granted permission to the federal government for its witnesses to testify behind under shield from public view in the terrorism charges against the Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu.
This follows an ex-parte application filed by the federal government lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo SAN. who argued that the identities of the witnesses needed to be protected for security reasons.
He informed the court that the charges against Kanu bothers on terrorism, hence, the need to protect the witnesses. According to the counsel the name of the witnesses and their other identities be shielded from the public for security reasons.
The defendants counsel Agabi who was not expected to opposed or comment by the nature of application ex-parte however requested for similar cooperation from the federal government when bail application for Kanu would be argued.
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The judge granted the federal government request in his ruling. He however ordered that Kanu must see the faces of those to testify in the trial.
Testifying before the court the first federal government, witness that seem to be an operative of the Department of the State Service (DSS) code named, PWAAA by Justice James Omotosho in line with the decision of the court not to make names of witnesses public. gave vivid account of his agency.
The witness said that acting on intelligence, they deployed an 8-man operatives to a hotel in Ikeja, Lagos on October 15, 2015 where Kanu was arrested during a room to room search.
He said that the security men opted for room to room search because Kanu’s name was not on the hotel manifest adding that it was upon his arrest that they discovered he used his native name to secure the hotel accommodation.
The witness disclosed that several items including IPOB pamphlets, IPOB complementary cards, laptops, IPADS, microphones, microphone stand, flash drives, power adaptor for mixers, various brands of phones, perfumes, ATM cards, Wrist Watch, among others were recovered in Kanu’s hotel room and recorded.
The items brought to court by DSS in four suites were displayed in the open court and admitted as exhibits having not objected to by Kanu’s defense team
The witness told the court that the interrogation of Kanu was video recorded which was played in the open court and admitted as exhibits along with his written statement.
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 is his fundamental right and not terrorism as alleged by the federal government.
Kanu in the statement he made to DSS in Lagos on October 15, 2015 was clear that freedom fighting is not a crime in any part of the world including Nigeria because it is a fundamental right and cited some 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 that the defendant admitted establishing, operating Radio Biafra and that he did not register the radio station with NBC in Nigeria.
The matter has adjourned by Justice James Omotosho till May 2, 2025 for cross examination of the witness.
