The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), until Friday to allow for the cross-examination of the Federal Government’s witness.
Justice James Omotosho made the decision to adjourn after Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, the counsel for the Federal Government, presented the first prosecution witness, identified as PWAAA. The witness, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), provided his testimony from behind a protective shield and was subsequently discharged from the witness box.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the DSS operative tendered documentary evidence against Kanu, submitted through Awomolo and marked as exhibits by the court, as Kanu’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, did not object.
The witness, who has reportedly served for 18 years, was part of the team that arrested Kanu at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Lagos. During the proceedings, a video recording of Kanu’s interrogation by DSS operatives was played in open court. A statement made by Kanu on October 15, 2015, was also read aloud, in which he admitted to founding Radio Biafra in London and acknowledged that the station was not registered with Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), as he considered it unnecessary.
In the statement, Kanu further claimed he was interrogated by the DSS without legal representation, which he argued was a breach of his rights. He reaffirmed his commitment to the emancipation of the South East, South South, and parts of Benue and Kogi regions. Kanu insisted that freedom fighting was not a crime in Nigeria and should be seen as a fundamental right. He maintained that he had never been linked to any form of violence.
Additionally, four suitcases recovered from Kanu’s hotel room in 2015 were presented as evidence in court. The contents included personal belongings and equipment related to Radio Biafra. Again, Kanu’s lawyer did not object, and Justice Omotosho admitted the items into evidence.
