A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, admitted a report from the Imo State Police Command, alleging that Ahmed Gulak, the late aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, was killed by hoodlums suspected to be members of the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (Biafra).
At a resumed trial of Nnamdi Kanu over alleged terrorism related offences, the prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), tendered through the prosecution witness (PWBBB), a certified true copy of the certificate of death dated 18 July 2021, and medical report of death of Gulak.
Both documents were admitted in evidence by the trial Judge, James Omotosho, as the Defendant’s counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), did not raise any objections.
Upon cross examination, the witness admitted being aware that Governors of the South West came together and agreed on formation of a vigilantes group known as Amotekun because of security challenges and killings in the region.
“I am aware, and they did it because of security issues, like kidnappings, killing of farmers etc, in the region, the witness said, noting Amotekun “was formed as a vigilante group by governors of South West.”
“These atrocities you blamed on the defendant have continued unabated even though he is in detention” Agabi asked the witness, but he said “I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, the prosecution witness said he didn’t know the DSS kept Kanu in solitary confinement, insisting the agency “doesn’t do that and it’s not its procedure.
Answering a question from Kanu Agabi (SAN), on the fact that the DSS considered the defendant a “danger to others and to himself”, that’s why they kept him in isolation, the witness replied, “I don’t know. I am only an investigator”.
According to Agabi, under the UN rules, an individual can only be confined for a 15-day period, but the witness didn’t know how long Kanu had been kept in solitary confinement in the detention facility of DSS.
Effort by the defendant’s counsel to make the witness admit that keeping somebody in solitary confinement is “cruel and unusual punishment” did not yield any result as the witness said he was not aware of the period of detention of Kanu.
Agabi claimed that Kanu’s long confinement in an isolated cell has caused him huge psychological problem, stressing he was in confinement for 4 years before the DSS’ witness interviewed him.
Still being cross examined, the PWBBB told the court that he was not aware that Kanu was arrested on 14 October 2015, and was subsequently charged on 6-counts on 23 December 2015.
On 7 November 2016, when the charge was amended, and increased from 6 counts to 11 counts, the witness said he was not aware.
On 21 June 2017, when the charge was further amended, and was reduced to 5, the witness told the court he was not aware of the charge.
In 2018, the charge was further amended to four, yet it was not mentioned that Kanu instigated anybody, Agabi asked, yet the witness said, he was not aware of the charge, and that he was not aware that no one was incited or instigated by Kanu.
“Six years on, the charge against the Defendant was increased to 15, and in January 2022, eight of the charges were dismissed by the court: Responding, the witness said, “I don’t know anything about that present charge because I didn’t write it.
More so, the witness admitted not being aware that the charge has been pending for 10 years.
