The Department of State Services (DSS) says the broadcasts made by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, incited the sit-at-home order of IPOB in the South-East region.
According to the DSS, the broadcasts also directly contribute to economic paralysis in the region.
The DSS spoke on Friday at the ongoing trial of Kanu before Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
A DSS operative, codenamed DDD for security reasons, testified before the court and was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN.
In his testimony, the witness said Kanu’s broadcasts incited the enforcement of IPOB’s sit-at-home order through its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network.
“From my investigation, the defendant’s broadcasts directly contributed to economic paralysis in the South-East, as they fuelled the enforcement of IPOB’s sit-at-home order,” he said.
The witness also detailed how Kanu allegedly smuggled a radio transmitter into Nigeria, concealed within household items, to evade detection.
According to him, the transmitter, which was not declared to the Nigeria Customs Service, was hidden at the residence of one Benjamin Madubougu in Ihiala, Anambra State.
He told the court that Kanu used the transmitter to incite violence and spread secessionist messages.
The witness said, “The defendant used the radio to incite members of the public against the Federal Government. We obtained a search warrant, searched Benjamin’s residence, and recovered the transmitter along with other items, including firearms, cartridges, Biafran currency, and Indian hemp.”
The court admitted into evidence a Certified True Copy of the search warrant issued by the Ihiala Chief Magistrate Court on October 28, 2015.
A video recording showing Kanu inspecting the smuggled transmitter was also tendered and admitted despite initial objections by the defence team led by Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN.
In the video played in the open court, Kanu was seen praising the transmitter as a “game changer” and referring to it as a “nuclear weapon” for Biafra.
Kanu further warned residents of the South-East not to defy IPOB’s sit-at-home order scheduled for May 31, 2021, threatening violence against violators.
The prosecution tendered a flash drive containing 18 video clips and 16 radio broadcasts attributed to Kanu, which the court admitted into evidence.
Additionally, Madubougu’s statement in which he admitted that Kanu had not provided any customs documentation for the imported transmitter was also tendered in court.
The court also admitted a publication from Vanguard newspaper in which an alleged ESN member claimed that Kanu ordered the collection of 2,000 human heads for burial rites, although only 30 were reportedly obtained.
Despite the objection of the defence team, the court admitted the newspaper article, alongside a certificate of compliance.
The prosecution further applied for the court to inspect the container housing the transmitter and other related items, currently held at the DSS facility in the Presidential Villa. The request was granted without opposition.
Justice Omotoso ruled that the court would visit the DSS premises to inspect the container and adjourned further proceedings.
He emphasised that the court was duty-bound to examine all evidence thoroughly in the pursuit of justice.
The Punch
