A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted into
evidence a report by the Department of State Services allegedly linking the
leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to the
killing of 186 police officers and the destruction of 164 police stations
during the #EndSARS protests.
Justice James Omotoso admitted the report during the resumed
hearing in Kanu’s terrorism trial on Thursday.
The report was tendered by the prosecuting counsel,
Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), through the fifth prosecution witness (PW5) codenamed
Mr EEE for security reasons.
Led in evidence by Awomolo, the witness, a DSS operative,
told the court that he was part of a team deployed to the South-East and other
parts of the country to gather information and compile reports on the violence
that erupted during the #EndSARS movement.
“I know the defendant through the media. I have never met
him face-to-face,” the witness said.
EEE also said that his mandate was to collect records of the
destruction of public property and the deaths of security personnel, allegedly
incited by Kanu’s statements.
The court admitted as exhibits a damage assessment report,
death certificates of some security officers, and a certificate of compliance
tendered through the witness by Awomolo.
Although the defence lawyer objected to the admissibility of
these documents, arguments were reserved for a later date.
According to the witness, the violence led to the deaths of
186 police officers, 37 military personnel, and 10 DSS operatives. The witness
further stated that 164 police stations and nine facilities belonging to the
Independent National Electoral Commission were destroyed across 17 states, including
Lagos, Abia, Anambra, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, and Rivers, as a result of
Kanu’s inciting messages.
During cross-examination, counsel for the defence, Dr
Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), challenged the credibility of the report and the basis
for linking Kanu to the unrest.
“You were not part of the investigation into the defendant
himself, correct?” Ikpeazu asked.
“I was tasked to investigate the destruction of public
property based on the statements of the defendant. He gave instructions to IPOB
members to kill officers,” EEE responded.
Ikpeazu pressed further, questioning whether Kanu’s
statements were directly tied to the #EndSARS protests or IPOB activities. He
also inquired whether notable activist Aisha Yesufu, known for her role in the
protests, was similarly investigated.
“My assignment was not to investigate Biafra or individuals
like Aisha Yesufu but to assess damage from the #EndSARS protest,” the witness
replied.
He added that while the protests were driven by “organic
issues like police brutality,” they were “hijacked by subversive elements” who
incited violence against the state.
When pressed for details, the witness admitted he could not
identify any specific page in the report directly attributing the deaths to
IPOB members. “It is a voluminous document. There is no single caption that
links deaths directly to IPOB on any page,” he said.
Ikpeazu highlighted several deficiencies in the report,
including a lack of dates on photographs, the absence of the witness’s
signature, and missing details such as the names or towns of the deceased and
the medical examiners. The witness admitted the report was certified in his
capacity as secretary but was not personally signed by him.
“You did not sign this report. In fact, none of the
photographs show the dates they were taken,” Ikpeazu observed, suggesting the
report was compiled after the commencement of the trial—a claim the witness
denied.
Meanwhile, the prosecution counsel, Chief Awomolo (SAN),
stated that the prosecution had succeeded in presenting evidence relating to the
case and urged the court to grant his prayers.
The defence counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), entered a no-case
submission, indicating they would proceed to address the court.
The court granted each party 14 days to submit their
arguments on the no-case submission and an additional two days for replies on
points of law.
Justice Omotoso adjourned the case to July 18 for the
adoption of the no-case submission.
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