A Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, heard how the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, allegedly incited the public to attack police officers through illegal radio broadcasts.
Testifying as the second prosecution witness (PW2) in Kanu’s terrorism trial, a Department of State Services (DSS) official detailed how Kanu admitted to operating an unlicensed radio station, Radio Biafra, which broadcast on frequencies 102.1 FM and 88.0 FM. The witness, led in evidence by prosecuting counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), stated that the broadcasts called for violent actions against law enforcement.
According to the DSS operative, the broadcasts were made without approval from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), rendering them illegal. He revealed that on July 2021, he was assigned to take Kanu’s statement following a directive from the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), requesting an investigation into Kanu’s alleged terrorism activities.
The witness said that during the statement-taking session, which was conducted in the presence of Kanu’s lawyers, including Alloy Ejimakor, the defendant admitted his involvement. “We played some of the broadcasts where he called for attacks on police officers. Kanu listened and confirmed that it was his voice,” the witness stated.
The DSS official further testified that Kanu’s agitation was centered on seceding the five South-East states, along with parts of Kogi and Benue, from Nigeria. He added that the entire session was video-recorded, and a copy of the recording, along with a letter from the AGF, was presented to the court as evidence.
However, Kanu’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), objected to the admissibility of the evidence, arguing that the defence had not been served with copies of the AGF’s letter and the video recording, which is a constitutional right under Section 36.
In his ruling, Justice James Omotosho agreed with the defence, ordering the prosecution to serve all relevant documents and materials intended for use in the trial to Kanu’s legal team. He emphasized the need for transparency and compliance with constitutional provisions.
Justice Omotosho subsequently adjourned the trial to May 7 to allow the prosecution time to serve the necessary documents and for the continuation of the DSS witness’s testimony.
