By Uche Onyeali
Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will, on July 18, open his defence in the terrorism charges brought against him by the federal government.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja fixed the date Thursday when the federal government closed its case against the IPOB leader, having called five witnesses who testified to establish the terror charges.
However, there are strong indications that Kanu may file a no case submission on the ground that he was not properly linked with the alleged terrorism cases in the country.
The prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) announced the closure of the case after the fifth prosecution witness (PW-5), identified as EEE for security reasons, was discharged from the witness box, after he was cross-examined by one of Kanu’s lawyers, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN).
According to Awomolo, the prosecution was satisfied that from the avalanche of evidence tendered, including broadcast activities of the leader of the pro-Biafra nation, government had sufficiently satisfied the need to close its case.
“I therefore close the case,” he said.
Reacting, the lead defence counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) informed the court that they would opt for a no-case submission, which would be filed in due course.
Earlier in his evidence-in-chief, the fifth witness, who is an officer of the Department of State Service, DSS, said he was directed to lead a team of security officers to the southern region of the country to obtain records of activities that occurred between 2020 and 2021, relating to the #EndSARS protest.
According to the witness, his assignment include obtaining records of public properties that were destroyed and death certificates of security officers who died during the protests.
The witness was then shown three documents of the report of the #EndSARS assessments, list of officers that died and their death certificates.
Following the confirmation, his lawyer sought to tender same in evidence.
Ikpeazu, however, informed the court that the defence team would register their objection at the appropriate time, while the documents were subsequently admitted and marked as exhibits PWD2, PWD2A and PWD2B, respectively.
A summary of the documents revealed that 128 policemen, 37 army officers and 10 DSS agents were killed within the period.
Similarly,164 police stations were destroyed, as well as 19 facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Under cross examination, the witness admitted that he was not involved in the investigation of the crimes allegedly committed by the defendant, but investigated the fallout of the #EndSARS protest which the defendant enabled through his broadcasts.
When asked whether the entire #EndSARS protest was carried out because Kanu asked them to protest, the witness said he does not know, adding that he knew that the defendant asked the people to attack security officials and destroy public property.
