Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Thursday, said in a video played in court that the destructions witnessed during the #ENDSAR Protest in October 2020 could not have been as a result of his broadcasts on Biafra Radio.
Mr Kanu stated this during his interrogation by the State Security Service, SSS, on July 17, 2021, and the video evidence played before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The video recording of the session where the SSS investigators, including the witness, identified as BBB, interrogated Kanu and obtained a written statement from him, was played in court.
BBB identified Kanu in the video as well as two of his lawyers who were with him during the session, including Alloy Ejimakor.
He, however, admitted making broadcast in respect of the #ENDSARS protest and other broadcasts on Biafra Radio.
He said the protest that took place in Lagos during the protest was outside the Biafran territory and that the mayhem witnessed during the period could not have been as a result of his broadcast.
Mr Kanu confirmed being the founder and leader of IPOB and Eastern Security Network, ESN.
Kanu said he was not directly involved in the day-to-day running of both organisations, IPOB and ESN, which he said were managed by their states’ coordinators.
During the interaction session, Kanu sought and was granted permission to ease himself.
He went into the restroom, returned a moment later and the interview session continued.
Kanu said he did not have authority over his members, adding that if he had had authority over them, he would not have subscribed to referendum.
He said he would have just pronounced Biafra into existence.
In the video, Mr Kanu denied that IPOB was responsible for the violent attacks in some parts of the South East and the killings witnessed.
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He said that IPOB was a peaceful and a non-violent movement
Mr Kanu, who said he facilitated the establishment of ESN, explained that the organisation was necessitated by the killings of the people of the South East.
“If you look at what was happening in our land, that was what gave rise to ESN.
“If our people cannot go to farm, and people are killed in their land, do you sit down and do nothing?
“People can no longer go to farm; people can no longer carry out their economic activities,” he said.
Mr Kanu faulted the invasion of his house by armed soldiers, which he said accounted for why he left the country for fear of being killed.
He argued that the invasion was unnecessary and also faulted the manner he was arrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, BBB, who was the 2nd prosecution witness (PW-2), while being led in evidence by the Federal Government’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, narrated how Radio Biafra broadcast by Kanu led to killing of eminent Nigerians, including security officers.
The witness said Kanu’s broadcasts led to the killing of a former Senior Special Adviser, SSA, to ex-President Gooluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak.
BBB said he was part of the SSS’ team that investigated the complaint made against Kanu by the then Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami.
He said the defendant’s broadcast also led to the killing of a retired judge, Justice Stanley Nnaji and an intending military couple; Sergeant Audu Lucas and Private Glory Matthew.
The witness said Kanu, in one of his broadcasts, ordered his followers to enforce a sit at home in all South Eastern states and in the process many people, who went out of their houses on that day, were killed.
He said investigation revealed that Sergeant Lucas and Private Matthew were not only killed by those who were enforcing Kanu’s sit at home order, they were also beheaded.
The witness said investigations also revealed that before killing Gulak, those enforcing the sit-at-home directive by Kanu, blamed him (Gulak) for coming out on a day their leader asked people not to go out of their homes.
He added that, from their investigation, they found that Kanu founded IPOB and ESN, which is the armed wing of IPOB, and that he was the leader of both groups.
“We were also able to establish that he (Kanu) founded Radio Biafra through which he made inciting comments like killing of police officers and burning of property,” the witness said.
He added that they also found that Radio Biafra was not registered in Nigeria and that owing to Kanu’s broadcast, police stations in Cele and Ilasa (both in Lagos) were burnt by his followers.
The witness said investigation also revealed that about 100 luxury buses, belonging to the Lagos Government and part of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos were burnt as allegedly directed by Kanu in one of his broadcasts.
The witness added: “He (Kanu) did not only call for the killing of security officers, he called for them to be beheaded, which they (his followers) did.”
He said their investigation revealed that Kanu’s agitation for Biafra was to secede the states of South East and part of Benue and Kogi from Nigeria.
According to him, the defendant called for the establishment of the state of Biafra by any means possible, including war.
After Awomolo concluded evidence-in-chief, the lawyer to the defendant, Paul Erokoro, SAN, sought an adjournment for the defence to cross-examine the witness.
The judge adjourned the matter until May 14, May 21 and May 22 for further hearing.
NAN
