The long-delayed trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), resumed on Friday before Justice James Omotosho at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with a key prosecution witness admitting that no instrument of terrorism was found on the defendant.
The hearing featured the cross-examination of the first prosecution witness (PW1), identified only as AAA, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS). Testifying from behind a screen, as granted by the court to protect the identities of government witnesses, AAA told the court he neither found any violent material on Kanu nor linked him directly to acts of terrorism.
AAA said his role in the case was limited to arresting Kanu, taking his statement, and escorting him to Abuja. He confirmed that he did not conduct a detailed analysis of items recovered from Kanu, except for his phone, which he said was not considered material to the case and thus not analysed in court.
Lead defence counsel and former Attorney General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi (SAN), asked AAA whether he found any weapon or item that could be described as a tool of terrorism. AAA replied, “No.” He also admitted that the items seized from Kanu about ten years ago had mostly become obsolete and confirmed there was no record of those items kept by him personally, although one existed.
AAA further testified that he found no evidence of violence or terrorist activity on a woman arrested alongside Kanu, and he did not view her presence as aiding terrorism. He also admitted that the DSS had not linked any individuals as co-conspirators in the current trial and had no knowledge of others facing similar charges for Biafra-related agitation.
When questioned about IPOB’s stance on arms, AAA said he remembered Kanu stating that IPOB is not an armed group and does not train members to bear arms. He acknowledged that although the defendant had made inflammatory statements—such as calling Nigeria a “zoo”—he could not link them to any specific act of violence.
Agabi pressed further, comparing IPOB-related unrest to other violent incidents across Nigeria. He asked whether ongoing killings in Kaduna, Zamfara, and other northern states were linked to separatist agitation. AAA responded, “To the best of my knowledge, no.”
The case, which began in 2015 following Kanu’s arrest in Lagos, has experienced numerous delays, mainly due to procedural challenges and the defendant’s absence after fleeing Nigeria in 2017. In 2018, the court separated his trial from those of four co-defendants, enabling the continuation of proceedings against them.
Kanu was re-arrested in Kenya in June 2021 and brought back to Nigeria to face terrorism and treasonable felony charges. The resumed proceedings mark a significant moment in the nearly decade-long legal battle, during which the prosecution had struggled to present witnesses and evidence.
Prosecution counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) leads the federal government’s case, which continues amid international scrutiny and strong public interest.
The trial is expected to continue in the coming weeks.
