By OBSERVERS TIMES
In a significant development in the ongoing trial of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, a key witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that no instrument of terrorism was discovered on Kanu during his arrest.
The principal witness, identified only as AAA, made the disclosure while being cross-examined by Kanu’s defense team, led by former Attorney General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi (SAN), before Justice James Omotosho on Friday.
AAA, referred to as PW1, confirmed that his involvement in the investigation was limited to Kanu’s arrest, obtaining his statement, and escorting him to Abuja. When questioned about items presented as evidence in court, the DSS operative stated that nothing appeared inherently offensive. He admitted to only analyzing Kanu’s phone, the contents of which were deemed “immaterial” to the case and thus not presented as part of the evidence analysis.
Adding to the defense’s line of questioning, AAA agreed that many of the confiscated items would likely be unusable after a decade in custody. He also confirmed the existence of a record for items purportedly returned to Kanu, though he did not personally maintain these records.
Crucially, when specifically asked by Agabi whether he found “any instrument of terrorism on the defendant,” AAA responded definitively, “No.”
Furthermore, the DSS witness stated that Kanu did not mention any individuals working with him during interrogation, and he was unaware if others were currently facing terrorism charges alongside Kanu in this specific case. Agabi countered, asserting that Kanu is the sole individual in Nigeria facing terrorism charges related to Biafra agitation. While AAA acknowledged that others were initially charged with Kanu, he was uncertain about the current status of their trials. He mentioned awareness from social media and newspapers of Kanu’s supporters, such as Simon Ekpa, continuing the agitation, and noted that the DSS was reportedly in the process of extraditing Ekpa.
Regarding property damage charges, AAA conceded that Kanu was “maybe not personally and virtually” involved, citing social media messages where Kanu allegedly incited violence, but admitting he knew of no specific instance where someone carried out violence due to Kanu’s incitement.
During the testimony, PW1 recalled Kanu referring to Nigeria as a “zoo” but could not specifically remember if Kanu spoke about corruption, youth unemployment, or lack of development. He did, however, remember Kanu stating that IPOB was not an armed group and did not provide armed training to its members.
In a series of questions contrasting Kanu’s alleged actions with widespread violence across Nigeria, Agabi highlighted killings in Kaduna, Zamfara, Benue, and Plateau, attacks on farms, churches, mosques, schools, and trains, all unrelated to separatist agitations. To each instance, AAA responded, “No.” He also surprisingly stated that Nigeria’s highways are “safe, to a larger extent.”
The trial, which involves terrorism and treasonable felony charges against Kanu, has faced significant delays since its inception in 2015 following his arrest in Lagos. After nearly a decade and numerous setbacks, the prosecution only began presenting witnesses and exhibits earlier this week. Initially, four individuals were charged alongside Kanu, but their trials were severed in February 2018 after Kanu fled Nigeria. He was subsequently rearrested in Kenya in June 2021.
