The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, accepted video recordings as evidence in the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The videos show Kanu allegedly threatening prominent Igbo leaders over their stance on his activities.
Justice James Omotosho admitted the video recording as an exhibit after Kanu’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro, SAN, did not object to its admissibility.
The video, an interview Kanu had with the online platform Sahara Reporters, was presented by the third prosecution witness (PW-3), a DSS operative identified as CCC.
Earlier, Justice Omotosho had ruled on the admissibility of other evidence (statements and videos) previously sought by the Federal Government.
After that ruling, PW-3 continued his testimony, identifying a disc titled “Interview with Sahara TV.” The video, stored in a compact disc, was admitted and subsequently played in court.
In the video, Kanu is heard referring to Nigeria as a “zoo,” making allegations against some prominent Igbo figures, and threatening them.
He accused former Minister of Foreign Affairs, General Ike Nwachukwu, of killing Igbos, and former Anambra Governor, Jim Nwobodo, of betraying Alex Ekweme.
He also accused the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, of killing Igbos and having their corpses dumped in a river.
Additionally, the defendant accused former Imo Governor, Rochas Okorocha, of single-handedly Islamizing the state.
Kanu was also heard threatening violence if his Biafra objective was not achieved, stating that if Biafra was not granted, what was happening in Somalia would seem like a child’s play compared to what would befall Nigeria, which he called a “zoo.”
He explicitly stated, “If they do not give us Biafra, there will be nothing living in the zoo; nothing will survive there. I do not see Biafra happening peacefully. There is no freedom out of a peaceful process.”
He even welcomed the attack on Enugu State’s Government House, expressing support for anything that could overthrow the existing “corrupt establishment.”
During cross-examination by Erokoro, the witness stated he did not investigate the veracity of Kanu’s allegations against the named Igbo indigenes.
He clarified that his assignment was only to confirm whether Kanu had indeed granted the interview, which the defendant confirmed.
The witness denied knowing whether General Nwachukwu, Nwobodo, Okorocha, and Obi were killed after the last national conference, as alleged by Kanu in the video.
PW-3 also denied knowledge of the 2014 National Conference mentioned by Kanu or if Kanu had retracted his statements in subsequent videos.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter until June 13, 16, 17, 18, and 19 for the continuation of the trial.
Earlier, Justice Omotosho upheld an objection by Kanu’s legal team regarding the admissibility of statements obtained from the defendant by DSS officials without his lawyers present.
The judge ruled the statements inadmissible, citing the DSS’s failure to comply with Section 17(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, which stipulates that a suspect’s lawyer or chosen person must be present during statement-taking.
Although the ACJA uses “May,” implying a lawyer’s presence is not mandatory, the judge deferred to the Supreme Court’s decisions on the matter.
Consequently, the statements were rejected and expunged from the court’s record, along with video recordings of Kanu’s interview/statement-writing sessions with DSS officials in October 2015.
The judge also issued an order barring Mrs. Favour Kanu, said to be Kanu’s sister-in-law, from attending all future proceedings.
She was found in contempt for live-streaming court proceedings and allowing her followers to make live comments.
The judge stated that Favour’s conduct was disrespectful and amounted to contempt of court.
He recalled having previously barred her from three court sessions for similar actions and warned that anyone engaging in such conduct, including lawyers, would face consequences, potentially being sent to a correctional center.
Favour was ordered out of the courtroom and barred from further entering the court premises in Abuja, unless personally involved in another case.
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