Newsie Events :
A witness for the Federal Government admitted before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday that no weapons or instruments of violence were recovered from Biafra agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, during his arrest in Lagos on October 15, 2015.
The witness, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) identified only as PWAAA, told the court that none of the items seized from Kanu or the woman arrested alongside him were weapons or tools for public disturbance.
He acknowledged during cross-examination by Kanu’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), that all recovered items were personal belongings.
While he stated that the intention behind the possession of such items might be interpreted differently, PWAAA admitted that he did not analyze the items himself. His role, he said, was limited to executing the arrest and obtaining Kanu’s statement—taken without the presence of a lawyer.
He confirmed that the DSS analyzed Kanu’s phone, but no report was submitted to the court, as it was considered “immaterial.” The witness further conceded that in the ten years since the items were seized, they may have lost their relevance or value.
Under questioning, the DSS operative also acknowledged that no one was presented to Kanu to confront him with terrorism allegations, and he knew of no one else tried by the Federal Government solely for Biafra agitation—except Simon Ekpa, who he said might soon face trial in Nigeria.
PWAAA admitted relying mostly on media reports regarding those supporting Kanu and said he could not recall whether Kanu made statements about corruption, youth unemployment, or issued any apology to the President or Igbo leaders.
He also could not remember Kanu describing the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a non-violent, voluntary group.
While recognizing that killings were ongoing in parts of the country, especially in the North, he insisted the government was making efforts to address the situation but could not link the violence to self-determination movements.
Items listed as recovered from Kanu included electronic devices such as laptops, modems, microphones, a camcorder, and several phones.
Other personal effects included clothing, wristwatches, perfumes, passports (Nigerian and British), and documents, including some tagged “IPOB.”
Justice Omotosho has scheduled the continuation of cross-examination for May 6th, 7th, and 8th, following an agreement between legal teams.
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