The first witness to testify behind camera began the trial of Biafran activist Nnamdi Kanu on terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
After a plea to that effect, Justice James Omotosho allowed the government to have its witnesses testify behind closed doors.
While rendering a decision on an ex parte application submitted by Chief Adegboyega Solomon, SAN, the attorney for the Federal Government, the judge granted the request.
During the application hearing, Solomon urged with Justice Omotosho that the witnesses’ names be kept private and secure for security concerns.
He told the court that witness protection was necessary since Kanu’s allegations bordered on a major terrorist violation.
For security considerations, the senior attorney asked that the witnesses’ names and other identifying information be kept private.
Justice Omotosho approved the request as Kanu Agabi, SAN, Kanu’s attorney, did not oppose.
However, the judge mandated that Kanu see the faces of the witnesses who would be testifying.
However, when Kanu’s bail application was being debated, Kanu’s attorney asked the Federal Government to cooperate in the same manner.
In accordance with the court’s decision to withhold witness identities from the public, Justice James Omotosho codenamed the first Federal Government witness, a Department of the State Service (DSS) agent, PWAAA at the beginning of the trial.
The witness described in detail how, on October 15, 2015, his agency, based on intelligence, sent eight agents to a hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, where Kanu was taken into custody after a room-by-room search.
The witness revealed that a number of items, including IPOB pamphlets, IPOB complementary cards, laptops, IPADS, microphones, microphone stands, flash drives, power adaptor for mixers, various brands of phones, perfumes, ATM cards, and wrist watches, were recovered in Kanu’s hotel room and recorded. He said that the security personnel chose to conduct a room-to-room search because Kanu’s name was not on the hotel manifest and that it was only after his arrest that they learnt he had used his native name to secure the hotel accommodations.
The witness told the court that the interrogation of Kanu was video recorded which was played in the open court and admitted as exhibit 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 made to DSS in Lagos on October 15, 2015 made it 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.
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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 that, having not established it in the country.
In concluding his evidence, the witness told the court that Kanu admitted to the DSS to be the founder and leader of IPOB.
He also said that the defendant admitted establishing and operating Radio Biafra and that he did not register the radio station with NBC in Nigeria.
Justice James Omotosho has fixed May 2, 2025 for cross examination of the witness.
