…Court Approves Protection of Witnesses’ Identities

…IPoB Criticizes Proceedings, Calls for End to “Persecution”

ABUJA — The Federal Government on Monday formally opened its case against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, with the Department of State Services (DSS) detailing how he was apprehended in 2015.

At the Federal High Court in Abuja, the court granted the government’s request to shield the identities of witnesses set to testify in the trial. Justice James Omotosho approved the motion following an ex-parte application filed by the prosecution team led by Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).

Under the ruling, witnesses are allowed to testify behind a screen, using acronyms instead of their real names. While they will remain visible to the judge and the defendant, they will be hidden from the public. Awomolo argued the measure was necessary due to the sensitive nature of the case and for the witnesses’ safety. Kanu’s legal team, led by former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Kanu Agabi (SAN), did not oppose the motion.

Following the court’s ruling, the prosecution presented its first witness, identified only as PWAAA. In his testimony, he stated that he led the security team that arrested Kanu on October 14, 2015, in a room at the Golden Tulip Hotel near Lagos International Airport. According to the witness, the arrest followed an intelligence-led operation involving an eight-man DSS team conducting a room-to-room search after Kanu’s name was not found on the hotel manifest. It was later discovered that Kanu had checked in using his native name. The witness noted Kanu was with a woman at the time of arrest.

Kanu’s lawyers did not raise any objections during the session.

In court, Kanu denied any involvement in violence in the South East. He asserted that his advocacy for the rights and self-determination of people in the South East, South South, and parts of Benue and Kogi states is a constitutionally protected right—not an act of terrorism. Kanu also confirmed founding Radio Biafra, which he said is legally registered in the United Kingdom, where he resides.

The case, which restarted afresh due to a reassignment to Justice Omotosho, will resume on Friday for cross-examination of the witness. Kanu has pleaded not guilty to a seven-count charge of treasonable felony.

IPoB Reacts to Trial Proceedings

Meanwhile, IPoB issued a strong statement condemning the ongoing trial. In a release by spokesperson Emma Powerful, the group dismissed the evidence presented in court as irrelevant personal belongings.

“To the shock of those present, including international observers, the DSS presented four boxes containing Mazi Kanu’s personal effects—wristwatches, a microphone, a DJ mixer misrepresented as a transmitter, cables, Arabian perfumes bought for his mother and mother-in-law, a brown shoe, laptops, chargers, and phones. No weapons or attack plans were found,” the statement read.

IPoB argued that the items offered no proof of terrorism and reiterated that Kanu is a freedom fighter advocating peacefully for self-determination through democratic means, such as a referendum.

The group urged both the Nigerian and UK governments to bring the case to an end, describing the trial as a politically motivated charade. “We are not interested in humiliating any party. Our mission remains one of dignity, freedom, and a better future for Biafrans, the black race, and all of Africa,” the statement concluded.