Court Accepts Evidence Linking Nnamdi Kanu To Terrorism

The trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), resumed in Abuja at the Federal High Court, with fresh evidence being presented by the Federal Government.

Prosecutors led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adegboyega Awomolo, continued questioning their witness, known only by the code name BBB, who read from a petition allegedly written by the former Attorney General, Abubakar Malami.

The letter, sent to the Department of State Services (DSS), accused Nnamdi Kanu of inciting violence, promoting terrorism, and ordering attacks on security forces.

The petition, dated June 17, 2021, was admitted as evidence without objection from Kanu’s defense team, led by senior lawyer Kanu Agabi.

The witness read out parts of the letter, which claimed Kanu had used broadcasts to instruct his supporters to target Nigerian police and army personnel.

According to the witness, “He instructed, through his broadcast, that police and army seen, should be brought down and their guns seized and used.”

The court also accepted a written statement by Kanu, dated July 17, 2021, in which he declined to provide further comment, saying he had already responded to the accusations.

That document was marked as another exhibit. A flash drive containing Kanu’s alleged broadcasts was also submitted.

Despite objections from the defense, the court allowed both the drive and its certification as evidence. Video and audio clips were played, where a voice said to be Kanu’s could be heard encouraging violence and destruction.

In one recording, the voice urged followers to “go and burn down Lagos”, “set Murtala Mohammed Airport on fire”, “burn down that Tinubu hotel”, “go into the bush, collect policemen’s guns and kill them”, etc.

Yet in another audio recording, a voice allegedly belonging to Kanu was addressing people who called into his program thus: “any police officer you kill, go to their station and set it on fire. Kill them. They are janjaweeds”.

The voice also said, “Tinubu is in trouble, he cannot run. Anywhere he runs to in this world we will find him”. “If we don’t behave like mad people in this zoological republic, this revolution will not work”.

“Start killing soldiers now, set ambush for them, dig holes on the roads so that when their vehicle come it will somersault and they will die”.

This particular audio recording was made during the End SARS protest of October 2020 because the voice could be heard taking calls from people across Nigeria who give him updates of what’s happening where they are.

One of the callers, who said he’s from Ogbor Hill in Ab,a said they need guns, but the alleged Nnamdi Kanu’s voice told him to join “the elite Biafra volunteer force” and he would understand how things work.

Another clip featured the same voice warning that shops in the Southeast that opened during a “sit-at-home” order would be burned down.

“Nobody is allowed to come out no matter who you are. If you dare open your shop tomorrow we’ll burn you inside that shop,”! The voice threatened.

Several recordings captured the voice allegedly encouraging the arming of IPOB members, ordering the killing of soldiers and police officers, and promoting violent revolution.

Another audio recording was played wherein the alleged Nnamdi Kanu voice could be heard telling a man over the phone that “there are some guns already on Edo State, take those guns and kill some army officers, take their guns and use it to attack the others”.

One video reportedly shows Kanu claiming that the Fulani ethnic group wants to take over Nigeria and calling for resistance.

A CD containing Kanu’s DSS interrogation was also presented. Though the defense team objected, the court accepted the CD and its certificate as evidence.

The prosecution also submitted a 2017 Federal Government gazette that formally labeled IPOB a terrorist group.

The case was adjourned to Thursday, May 8, 2025, for further hearing.

KanyiDaily recalls that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja barred Nnamdi Kanu’s sister-in-law from attending court for the next three sessions.