A Department of State Services (DSS) officer testifying in Nnamdi Kanu’s trial has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that no weapon tied to terrorism or violence was recovered from the IPOB leader when he was arrested in Lagos in 2015.
The officer, identified in court as PWAAA, gave his testimony on Friday, May 2, before Justice James Omotosho.
He said Kanu, though unarmed at the time of arrest, remained the central figure to whom members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) pledged allegiance.
PWAAA, a DSS operative with 18 years of experience, said he was part of the team that arrested Kanu at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Lagos. The arrest took place on October 14, 2015.
In court, a video recording of Kanu’s DSS interrogation was played, and his written statement dated October 15, 2015, was read aloud.
In the statement, Kanu admitted setting up Radio Biafra in London. He explained, “The radio wasn’t registered in Nigeria because I knew I wouldn’t be issued a licence, and also because there was no need.”
He added that he was interrogated by DSS officials without his lawyer present, and answered questions “to the best of my ability.”
The DSS presented four suitcases containing Kanu’s personal effects and radio equipment. These included laptops, transmitters, iPads, speakers, modems, microphones, mobile phones, perfumes, clothing, wristwatches, and both Nigerian and British passports bearing Kanu’s name.
PWAAA confirmed the items were recovered from Kanu’s hotel room. “The suitcase contained the personal belongings of the defendant, especially the Biafra Radio equipment,” he said.
During cross-examination led by Kanu’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), the DSS witness acknowledged that Kanu was not the only one involved in the Biafran agitation.
He named Simon Ekpa as another key figure, adding, “I am aware that Simon Ekpa is arrested in a foreign country and the Nigerian government is in the process of extraditing him.”
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Agabi pressed further, asking whether any other persons had been charged in Nigeria over the agitation. The witness responded, “I don’t know of any person put on trial by the federal government on account of agitation from the Biafran nation.”
When asked if Kanu was being prosecuted for destroying public property, PWAAA said, “What I know is that some of the charges relate to terrorism, which includes violence to achieve an aim or coerce the government.”
But when asked if Kanu was directly charged with acts of violence, he admitted, “Not personally but remotely. I know there was a time the IPOB leader instructed people to attack government property.”
He also told the court he couldn’t recall Kanu making public complaints about corruption or unemployment, or offering apologies for past remarks. “I don’t remember Kanu apologising for calling Nigeria a zoo,” he said.
PWAAA further stated he couldn’t confirm whether Kanu had described IPOB as a voluntary and peaceful group, or if he had rejected the use of arms.
He acknowledged that while there had been killings in some parts of the North, he believed the government was doing its best to curb them. He couldn’t say whether any of the violence was related to self-determination movements.
When asked about the items seized during the arrest, he said they appeared to be personal belongings that “may not be perceived to be offensive ordinarily,” but insisted their significance depended on Kanu’s intent.
He admitted he did not analyse the contents of the items recovered, his role, he explained, was limited to arresting Kanu and taking his statement. He confirmed analysing Kanu’s phone but didn’t share any findings in court.
PWAAA also acknowledged that Kanu’s statement was taken without legal counsel and that after nearly 10 years, the seized items might have lost their value.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the trial to May 6, 7, and 8 for further cross-examination.