The trial of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has resumed before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, with the cross-examination of Principal Witness (PW) 1.
At the resumed hearing, the court had granted the request of the Federal Government for witnesses to testify behind the screens.
While the prosecution counsel is Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), former Attorney General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi, led the defence team while a personnel of the Department of State Services, known simply as AAA, appeared as PW1.
AAA was asked if he was the officer conducting the interview in the video played in court. He answered that five officers were in the room, and he was one of them.
He said his role in the investigation was limited to arresting the defendant, obtaining his statement, and escorting him to Abuja for onward investigation
Among the items presented in court, he was asked if there was anything which, on the face of it, was offensive. AAA answered no.
He was asked if he had analyzed any of the items recovered from him. AAA said he analyzed only his phone.
He was asked if the phone was in evidence. He answered in the positive. He was asked if there was analysis in evidence. He replied in the negative because they considered it immaterial to the case.
When asked, “Do you agree that in the 10 years since you confiscated these items, many of them have lost their use?” AAA said “yes”.
He was asked whether there is a record of the items he claims the DSS returned to the defendant. He answered yes, but he didn’t personally keep the records.
He was asked if he found any instrument of violence on that lady with Kanu. He said no.
He was asked if he considered the lady’s company as facilitating terrorism. He said “no”.
“Did you find any instrument of terrorism on the lady?” “No,” he said. “Did you find any instrument of terrorism on the defendant?” “No,” he answered.
“Did you contact anybody whom the defendant mentioned as working with him?” AAA said the defendant didn’t mention any names.
“Do you know if there are other people standing terrorism trial with the defendant in this case?” AAA said no.
“I put it to you that there’s no other person in the whole of Nigeria who is standing terrorism trial for Biafra agitation except the defendant,” Agabi said. And AAA said he knew some people stood trial with him earlier, but he doesn’t know the state of those trials now.
AAA also mentioned that he has read from social media and newspapers that the defendants have supporters like Simon Ekpa, who also carry on the agitation.
He said he knows that the DSS is in the process of extraditing Simon Ekpa to Nigeria to face charges.
“Is the defendant charged with damaging anybody’s property?” AAA answered, “Maybe not personally and virtually”.
“How virtually?” AAA said there are social media messages where the defendant was inciting violence.
“Do you know one person who carried out any act of violence because the defendant incited him?” “I don’t know,” AAA answered.
“Do you remember that the defendant said there is corruption, youth unemployment, and a lack of development in Nigeria?” AAA said he cannot remember, but he remembers the defendant calling Nigeria a Zoo.
Asked whether he remembered that the defendant said IPOB was not an armed group and does not give armed training to its members, he said he remembers the defendant saying IPOB does not bear arms.
“There have been killings in Kaduna, Zamfara, Benue, Plateau, and other parts of the north. Are those killings based on any agitation for separation?” AAA answered, “To the best of my knowledge, no.”
“Do you agree that our highways are not safe to some extent?” AAA answered, “To a larger extent, they are safe”.
“Many Nigerians have been killed on their farms, in churches, in mosques, etc. Schools have been attacked, and students kidnapped or killed. Trains have been attacked, and passengers kidnapped and killed. These killings are not the product of any agitation for separation. Are they? AAA answered “No”.
The case, featuring terrorism and treasonable felony charges, was originally instituted in 2015 following Kanu’s arrest in Lagos.
Major setbacks have held the case down for almost a decade, making it impossible for the prosecution to call witnesses and present exhibits until Tuesday.
The case started with four people initially charged as Kanu’s co-defendants. However, in February 2018, the then-trial judge Binta Nyako severed the trial, separating Kanu — who had fled Nigeria, from the other defendants. The trial severance allowed the prosecution to continue proceedings against the four remaining co-defendants.
The Nigerian government re-arrested Kanu in Kenya in June 2021.
