A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted into evidence a radio transmitter allegedly smuggled into Nigeria by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in what the Department of State Services (DSS) described as a grand plan to incite violence and destabilise the Nigerian state.
The transmitter, which was said to have been hidden inside a 20-foot container and illegally imported from the United Kingdom, was recovered from the compound of Kanu’s associate, Benjamin Madubugu, in Ubuluisiuzor, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court admitted the transmitter as Exhibit PWZ and the container as Exhibit PWY during a special court session held at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja on Friday.
The relocation of the court sitting to the DSS facility followed an oral application by the prosecuting counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who argued that the transmitter and container were too large and sensitive to be moved to the regular court premises.
In a gripping testimony, the fourth prosecution witness, a DSS operative, told the court that Kanu masterminded the illegal importation of the transmitter in 2015, using it to launch inflammatory broadcasts under the banner of “Radio Biafra” — a platform he allegedly used to incite violence, command the outlawed Eastern Security Network (ESN), and spread anti-Nigeria propaganda.
According to the witness, DSS operatives obtained a warrant from the Chief Magistrate Court in Ihiala and raided Madubugu’s residence, where the container was found. Also recovered during the search were two unlicensed pump-action guns, ammunition, laptops, and a quantity of marijuana.
The witness said the transmitter was concealed among second-hand household items and that Kanu was seen in a video recording — also tendered in court — inspecting the container and referring to the transmitter as a “nuclear monster” that would “destroy the zoo,” a term he allegedly used to describe Nigeria.
“This is the monster itself. This is what will destroy enemies of Biafra… this is nuclear munster that will destroy the zoo,” Kanu said in the video, as he inspected the transmitter in Madubugu’s premises.
The DSS officer told the court that Kanu’s broadcasts via Radio Biafra were not only laced with secessionist rhetoric but also served as command signals to IPOB’s armed wing, the ESN.
“They carry out his instructions, which are broadcast through Radio Biafra. They are trained in guerrilla warfare, and they engage in acts of terrorism, maiming and killing, especially targeting the Hausa/Fulani ethnic group,” he said.
Awomolo also tendered audio recordings of Radio Biafra broadcasts, where Kanu was heard issuing threats and using derogatory language against prominent South-East leaders including the Minister of Works, David Umahi; former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha; and his successor, Hope Uzodinma.
In a May 29, 2021 broadcast, Kanu described the political leaders as “fools and idiots” before declaring a sit-at-home order for May 31, warning that “anyone who comes out will die.”
Further evidence presented by the DSS included a publication from Vanguard newspaper detailing a statement by a detained IPOB member, Emeyiri Uzoma Benjamin, also known as “Onye Army,” who reportedly confessed that Kanu had ordered the burial of a slain ESN commander, Ikonso, with “2,000 heads.”
According to Benjamin, they had only been able to gather 30.
The prosecution disclosed that Madubugu was initially arraigned alongside Kanu before their trial was separated after Kanu jumped bail. Madubugu is still standing trial before Justice Binta Nyako.
The DSS witness warned that the activities of IPOB and ESN have severely disrupted socio-economic life in the South-East, linking Kanu’s directives to various violent acts, destruction of lives and property, and ethnic tension in the region.
Justice Omotosho adjourned further hearing to June 18, 19, and 20, during which the prosecution is expected to close its case.
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