The trial of the Biafran agitator, Nnamdi Kanu on terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government kicked off on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja with the first witness testifying behind camera.
Justice James Omotosho granted permission to the government for its witnesses to give evidence behind camera following a request to that effect.
The judge granted the permission while delivering ruling in an ex-parte application filed by the Federal Government’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Solomon, SAN.
Solomon while arguing the application pleaded with Justice Omotosho that the identities of the witnesses be shielded from the public and protected for security reasons.
He informed the court that the charges against Kanu borders on serious offense of terrorism, hence, the need to protect the witnesses.
The senior lawyer requested that the name of the witnesses and their other identities be shielded from the public for the general reasons of security.
Due to no objection from Kanu’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi, SAN, Justice Omotosho granted the request.
The judge however ordered that Kanu must see the faces of those to testify in the trial.
Kanu’s lawyer however requested for similar cooperation from the Federal Government when the bail application for Kanu would be argued.
At the opening of the trial, the first witness of the Federal Government, an operative of the Department of the State Service (DSS) was codenamed, PWAAA by Justice James Omotosho in line with the decision of the court not to make names of witnesses public.
In his evidence, the witness gave vivid accounts of how his agency, acting on intelligence, deployed eight operatives to a hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, on October 15, 2015 where Kanu was arrested during a room to room search.
He said that the security men opted for room to room search because Kanu’s name was not on the hotel manifest adding that it was upon his arrest that they discovered he used his native name to secure the hotel accommodation.
The witness disclosed that several items including IPOB pamphlets, IPOB complementary cards, laptops, IPADS, microphones, microphone stand, flash drives, power adaptor for mixers, various brands of phones, perfumes, ATM cards, Wrist Watch, among others were recovered in Kanu’s hotel room and recorded.
The items brought to court by DSS in four suites were displayed in the open court and admitted as exhibits.
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.
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.
