By Peter Omopo
An operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), testifying in the ongoing trial of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday that no weapons or items linked to terrorism were recovered from Kanu during his arrest in October 2015.
The witness, identified only by the codename PWAAA for security reasons, made the disclosure while being cross-examined before Justice James Omotosho. He affirmed that although no arms or explosives were found, IPOB members remain loyal to Kanu as their leader.
The DSS operative said he was among the team deployed to arrest Kanu at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Lagos and has served with the intelligence agency for 18 years.
During the proceedings, the court viewed a video of Kanu’s interrogation and heard his written statement dated October 15, 2015. In it, Kanu admitted founding Radio Biafra in London, explaining that he did not seek registration in Nigeria because he believed it would not be approved.
He also stated that he was questioned by DSS officials without legal representation but answered questions “to the best of [his] ability.”
Items recovered from Kanu at the time of his arrest — including multiple laptops, iPads, radio transmission equipment, modems, phones, and personal effects — were presented in court and admitted as evidence. The DSS listed over 50 items, ranging from electronic devices to personal belongings and identity documents, including Nigerian and British passports.
Under cross-examination by Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), PWAAA acknowledged that other individuals were involved in IPOB’s activities, naming Simon Ekpa as one of them. However, when pressed by Agabi, the witness could not confirm whether anyone aside from Kanu was currently being prosecuted in relation to the group’s secessionist campaign.
The trial continues.
