By Uche Onyeali
One of the witnesses of the federal government in the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu yesterday told the Federal High Court, Abuja that the IPOB leader admitted smuggling a transmitter of Radio Biafra into Anambra State in 2015.
The witness codenamed PWCCC, an operative of the Department of State Service, DSS, said Kanu, while being interrogated confessed to setting up the radio station at Ubuluisiuzor in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
At the resumption of the trial yesterday, the DSS witness also informed the court that Kanu admitted that he established Radio Biafra to advance the self determination cause of the people of the South East.
The DSS had earlier tendered audio recordings of Kanu’s broadcasts from the radio station as exhibits in which the defendant was heard calling for the killing of several prominent Nigerians.
A DSS officer also told the court that his broadcasts incited many of his supporters to carry out attacks on prominent Nigerians and institutions.
The PWCCC, a third prosecution witness, told the court that Kanu on November 4, 2015, in an interview with his colleagues, admitted smuggling a radio transmitter into Nigeria.
The video clip of the November 4, 2015 interview session with DSS officers where Kanu allegedly admitted inspecting the radio transmitter he installed in Anambra was played in court and admitted as exhibit.
Drama, however, ensued when counsel to the federal government, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) tendered one of the statements made by Kanu.
In the unfolding drama, Kanu, after being shown the statement by his lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), claimed that he made the statement under duress and not voluntarily.
He also claimed that the statement in which he severely indicted himself on some unlawful actions of IPOB was made without the presence of his lawyer.
Based on the allegations, Justice James Omotosho ordered that trial within trial be conducted to ascertain the genuineness of hid allegations.
Among others, Kanu said the coercion started from Lagos while being transported to Abuja, where a DSS officer struck him, chained and blindfolded him.
During cross-examination by Awomolo, Kanu maintained that his detention at the DSS in 2015 was without any court order and that his interviews were taken without his lawyers, with the atmosphere not conducive.
The witness, however, debunked the allegations, saying the interviews were conducted in the most conducive and harmonious atmosphere.
He urged the court to dismiss the claims for being baseless, unfounded and an afterthought.
After the argument, Justice Omotosho asked Awomolo and Agabi to prepare their written addresses and file same today, May 29 for their adoption by 12 noon on Friday and for ruling to be delivered by 2pm, on whether to admit the statement or not.
The judge subsequently adjourned further proceedings till today.
