A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja heard on Wednesday that alleged provocative statements made by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu during broadcasts on Biafra Radio were linked to widespread violence in Nigeria’s South-East.
A government witness testifying in Kanu’s terrorism trial claimed that Kanu gave orders to his supporters targeting specific individuals, including members of the security forces.
The witness, identified as PWDDD and an officer of the Department of State Services (DSS), testified that between 170 and 200 security personnel were killed in the region.
While being questioned by prosecuting counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), the witness claimed that Kanu was responsible for the death of former presidential adviser Ahmed Gulak, linking the incident to instructions Kanu allegedly gave to IPOB.
He told the court that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) never authorized Kanu to import the radio transmitter allegedly used for the Biafra Radio broadcasts.
According to the witness, between 170 and 200 security operatives were reportedly killed as a result of the activities of IPOB and its paramilitary wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in the South-East.
He described the circumstances surrounding the death of Ahmed Gulak, which occurred on May 30, 2021, in Owerri, Imo State.
The witness said that after recovering the transmitter from a location in Ubuluisiuzor, Anambra State, it was transported to Abuja, and the DSS contacted NBC to examine it.
On November 9, 2015, NBC engineers conducted an inspection and submitted a report, a certified copy of which was presented in court by Awomolo.
The report, read by the witness, described the equipment as a German-made FM radio transmitter, which requires a license before use. It stated that no such license had been issued for the operation of Biafra Radio in Nigeria.
The DSS official testified that their investigation confirmed that Kanu did not apply for a broadcasting license, and the transmitter was smuggled into Nigeria without approval.
Further inquiries revealed that Kanu was the owner of the transmitter, which was allegedly stored at the residence of one Benjamin Madubugu. Kanu reportedly traveled to Nigeria, inspected the transmitter, and recorded a video as evidence to members of IPOB who had contributed financially toward its purchase.
The witness also referred to reports from Vanguard newspaper, quoting an alleged confession from an arrested ESN commander, Uzuoma Benjamin, also known as Onye Army. According to him, the commander disclosed that the group was directed by Kanu to target and eliminate security forces and that a deceased ESN leader, Ikonso, was to be buried with 2,000 human heads.
He claimed the same commander admitted that human body parts were used in rituals, including the heads of 10 girls, allegedly for protection.
He testified that during a DSS raid on an ESN hideout, agents encountered about seven individuals with human heads, some of whom were reportedly consuming human flesh for what they called spiritual empowerment. Onye Army was not located during the raid, with police later stating that he had escaped from custody.
The witness reiterated that an attack on Owerri correctional facility was instigated by Kanu through a broadcast instructing his followers to assault government security institutions.
He said that only 30 heads were recovered despite Kanu’s alleged directive for 2,000 for Ikonso’s burial.
He claimed that security agencies documented between 170 and 200 personnel deaths due to related incidents, including officers from various agencies. He stated that two DSS operatives, including his driver, were among the casualties.
He described ESN members as armed militants who target the homes of traditional leaders and prominent individuals, sometimes hijacking vehicles at roadblocks due to lack of logistics.
He listed public properties, including police stations, that were reportedly destroyed by IPOB and ESN members in the region.
On Gulak’s murder, the witness said he was among the first on the scene after the incident. According to his account, Gulak was in a commercial vehicle heading to the airport when they encountered a checkpoint set up by Air Force personnel. They diverted, only to be stopped again by suspected IPOB members.
The driver, who reportedly identified himself as Igbo and could speak the language, survived. Gulak, however, was unable to speak Igbo, and after being asked to remove his cap — revealing a religious mark — was identified by one of the men as a target and then shot.
The DSS officer said he was stationed in Imo State between 2019 and 2023 and transported Gulak’s body in his own vehicle.
During cross-examination by defence counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), the witness admitted there was no documented record of the transmitter’s importation or specific timeline of when it entered the country.
He explained that his team traced the location of the transmitter in Anambra through technical analysis of a video showing Kanu inspecting the equipment.
He denied any knowledge of Benka Clearing and Forwarding or Chief Isaac Maduka and could not confirm that Benka was involved in clearing the transmitter.
He was asked whether he knew that Biafra Radio was registered and operating from the United Kingdom, to which he responded that Kanu was arrested in Lagos in 2015 with broadcasting equipment but was not himself present at the arrest scene.
He clarified that the two firearms recovered during the investigation were not found inside the container that housed the transmitter but rather under the bed of Benjamin Madubugu, who was later charged with illegal possession of firearms.
The container, he added, was imported by one Igwe Anyiba, who was discovered to reside outside Nigeria.
The witness also stated that he had no knowledge of any official communication by the Imo State Government describing Gulak’s murder as politically motivated.
After the cross-examination concluded, the court released the witness from the stand, and Justice James Omotosho postponed the trial to June 19 for the prosecution to present its fifth witness.
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