The Federal Government on Tuesday opened its case against Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), with startling revelations about his 2015 arrest at a Lagos hotel, where he was found in the company of a young woman and broadcasting equipment.
Testifying behind a screen as permitted by the court for security reasons, the first prosecution witness, identified only as AAA, an 18-year veteran of the Department of State Services (DSS), told the Federal High Court in Abuja that Kanu was apprehended at the Golden Tulip Hotel near Lagos International Airport on October 14, 2015.
Justice James Omotosho had earlier granted the Federal Government’s request to shield witnesses’ identities during the trial, citing the sensitive nature of the case.
AAA narrated how his team, after a failed attempt to locate Kanu through the hotel’s guest records, conducted a room-to-room search and eventually found the IPOB leader in Room 303 alongside a woman later identified as Maria Ibezimakor.
“Kanu initially resisted arrest and even headbutted one of our officers, Bolaji,” the witness said, adding that the hotel room resembled a broadcasting studio with sophisticated radio equipment allegedly linked to the outlawed Radio Biafra.
All equipment was seized and taken to the DSS office in Lagos, where Kanu reportedly signed a document confirming the items belonged to him.
According to the witness, the following day, Kanu was interrogated, and the session was recorded on a compact disc, which was played in open court and admitted into evidence.
In the footage, Kanu admitted to setting up Radio Biafra and operating without a broadcast licence in Nigeria, saying he knew it was a crime but claimed he would not have been granted a licence even if he applied.
Kanu, in the recorded statement, described himself as a freedom fighter working for the emancipation of people from the South-East, South-South, and parts of the Middle Belt.
He said freedom fighting is a fundamental right recognised globally, including in Nigeria.
“I believe in the right to self-determination as enshrined in the United Nations Charter. I have never been involved in violence, nor have I been linked to any violent act,” Kanu stated during the interrogation.
The court also heard that Kanu confirmed his role as a communication engineer and disclosed that Radio Biafra had personnel in the United States, Russia, Italy, and Sweden, but none in Nigeria. He said many Nigerians voluntarily propagated the station’s messages.
Earlier, the court rejected a request from the defence, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kanu Agabi, to accommodate 22 lawyers. Justice Omotosho insisted on maintaining the previously approved number of 13.
The defence team includes prominent lawyers such as Audu Nunghe, Joseph Akubo, Emeka Etiaba, and Onyechi Ikpeazu.
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