BIAFRA: WITNESS TELLS COURT HOW NNAMDI KANU HID RADIO TRANSMITTER IN HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
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By: Sefiu Ajape
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday heard how Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), allegedly smuggled a radio transmitter into the country by concealing it within household items to avoid detection.
Testifying as the fourth prosecution witness, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative identified as Mr. DDD for security reasons, told the court that the transmitter was brought in without being declared to the Nigerian Customs Service and was later hidden at the home of one Benjamin Madubougu in Ihiala, Anambra State.
Under examination by the prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), the witness alleged that Kanu used the transmitter to incite violence and air secessionist broadcasts against the Nigerian government.
“The defendant used the radio to incite members of the public against the Federal Government. We obtained a search warrant, searched Benjamin’s residence, and recovered the transmitter along with other items including firearms, cartridges, Biafran currency, and Indian hemp”, the witness said.
The court also admitted in evidence a certified copy of the search warrant issued by the Ihiala Chief Magistrate Court on October 28, 2015.
A video recording showing Kanu inspecting the smuggled transmitter was also tendered and admitted, despite initial objections by the defence team led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN).
In the video played in open court, Kanu was allegedly seen praising the transmitter as a “game changer” and referring to it as a “nuclear weapon” for Biafra and reportedly warned residents of the South-East not to defy IPOB’s sit-at-home order scheduled for May 31, 2021, threatening violence against violators.
According to the DSS witness, “From my investigation, the broadcast directly contributed to economic paralysis in the South-East, as it fueled the enforcement of IPOB’s sit-at-home order by its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).”
The prosecution on Friday tendered a flash drive containing 18 video clips and 16 radio broadcasts allegedly linked to Nnamdi Kanu, which the Federal High Court admitted as evidence.
Also presented was a statement by Benjamin Madubougu, in which he reportedly confirmed that Kanu failed to provide any customs documentation for the imported transmitter concealed in household items.
Additionally, the court admitted a newspaper publication from Vanguard in which a purported member of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) claimed that Kanu instructed followers to collect 2,000 human heads for burial rites, although only 30 were reportedly recovered. Despite objections from the defence regarding the admissibility of the article, the court accepted it along with a certificate of compliance.
The prosecution also sought the court’s permission to inspect the container that housed the transmitter and other related items, currently in custody at the DSS facility within the Presidential Villa. The request was granted without opposition.
Justice James Omotoso ruled that the court would proceed to the DSS premises to examine the container, stressing the importance of thoroughly assessing all presented evidence. He adjourned the matter to June 18 for continuation of the trial.
Kanu is facing prosecution by the Federal Government on charges related to treason.
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