The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday received new testimony regarding the 2015 arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
According to POLITICS NIGERIA, proceedings resumed with a masked prosecution witness, identified as “Oga AAA” for security reasons, who testified that he led the Department of State Services (DSS) team that apprehended Kanu. The arrest took place at the Golden Tulip Hotel near Lagos’ Murtala Mohammed International Airport on October 14, 2015.
“We arrested Nnamdi Kanu with one woman in a hotel,” the witness told the court.
Earlier, the court had granted the federal government’s application to shield the identities of its witnesses, a request Justice James Omotosho approved. The defence raised no objection, allowing witnesses to testify behind screens while masked.
The witness further stated that Kanu was taken to the DSS office the next day for interrogation, which was video-recorded. The recording was admitted into evidence and played in court.
In the video, Kanu identified himself and said he was engaged in a struggle to improve lives. He confirmed founding Radio Biafra and described himself as a communication engineer. He noted that while he was in Nigeria, operations of the London-based station were overseen by his associate, Uche Mefor.
Kanu added that the station had no presence in Nigeria but had representatives in the U.S., Russia, Italy, and Sweden. He acknowledged that Radio Biafra was not licensed in Nigeria and admitted it was illegal to run an unlicensed station. However, he claimed that any license application would likely be denied.
Kanu also said his activism was aimed at the emancipation of the South-East, South-South, and parts of Benue and Kogi states. He stressed that freedom fighting is not a crime and is recognized under international law. He denied any involvement in violence, insisting he has never been linked to any violent activity
