The trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, resumed on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja before Justice James Omotosho.
During the cross-examination of the principal witness, a DSS operative known as AAA, the witness stated that no instruments of terrorism were found on Kanu.
The court had previously granted the Federal Government’s request for witnesses to testify behind screens.
The prosecution was represented by former Attorney General of the Federation, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), while Kanu Agabi led the defense team.
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AAA, the first principal witness (PW1), confirmed his presence during an interview shown in court, stating that five officers were in the room.
His role in the investigation was limited to Kanu’s arrest, obtaining his statement, and escorting him to Abuja.
AAA noted that nothing among the items presented in court appeared offensive.
He admitted to only analyzing Kanu’s phone, which was in evidence, but no analysis was presented as it was deemed immaterial.
He agreed that many confiscated items would likely be unusable after ten years and confirmed records existed for items supposedly returned to Kanu, though he didn’t personally keep them.
PW1 stated that no instruments of violence were found on the woman arrested with Kanu, and he did not consider her presence as aiding terrorism.
When directly asked by Agabi if he found “any instrument of terrorism on the defendant,” AAA replied, “No.”
Regarding whether he contacted anyone Kanu mentioned as working with him, AAA said Kanu provided no names.
He also stated he was unaware if others were currently on trial with Kanu for terrorism related to Biafra agitation, though he knew some were tried earlier.
Agabi asserted that Kanu was the only person in Nigeria on trial for Biafra agitation, but AAA mentioned media reports of Kanu’s supporters, like Simon Ekpa, and the DSS’s efforts to extradite him.
Asked about property damage charges against Kanu, AAA said “Maybe not personally and virtually,” referring to social media messages where Kanu allegedly incited violence, though he knew of no specific acts resulting from these incitements.
AAA recalled Kanu calling Nigeria a “zoo” but couldn’t remember him mentioning corruption, unemployment, or lack of development.
He did recall Kanu stating that IPOB was unarmed and did not provide armed training.
In response to questions about killings in northern Nigeria, AAA said they were not, to his knowledge, related to separatist agitation.
He described Nigeria’s highways as largely safe. He also agreed that numerous killings and kidnappings across the country were not the result of separatist movements.
The terrorism and treasonable felony case against Kanu dates back to his 2015 arrest in Lagos. Significant delays occurred, preventing witness testimonies until recently.
Initially, four others were charged with Kanu, but their trials were separated in 2018 after Kanu fled Nigeria.
He was re-arrested in Kenya in June 2021.
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