•Says IPOB killed Gulak, about 200 security agents

in Abuja

A fourth prosecution witness (PW4) of the Department of State Services (DSS), on Wednesday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja how incitement by pro-Biafra nation’s NnamdiKanu caused widespread violence in the south-eastern part of the country.

The witness, simply identified as PWDDD, in his evidence-in-chief alleged that Kanu, through his Biafra Radio broadcast, directed his followers to deal with some targeted persons, including security operatives.

Kanu is standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism and treasonable felony, though he pleaded not guilty to all the seven-count charge.

At the resumed trial on Wednesday, PWDDD, who is an operative of DSS, alleged that the number of security agents killed owing to the activities of members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in the South-east was between 170 and 200.

Led in evidence by prosecution lawyer, Chief AdegboyegaAwomolo, SAN, the witness also attributed the killing of a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak, to the alleged order of Kanu to IPOB.

He gave details of how the late former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Gulak, was killed on May 30, 2021 in Owerri.

Meanwhile, the witness informed the court that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) did not issue license to the defendant to import the radio transmitter he allegedly smuggled into the country to operate Radio Biafra.

The witness said shortly after himself and members of his team recovered the transmitter from a premises in Ubuluisiuzor, Anambra State, and brought it to Abuja, the DSS wrote the NBC to inspect it.

The witness told the court that on November 9, 2015, the NBC sent a team of engineers, who inspected the transmitter and wrote a report.

Awomolo then tendered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the provisional assessment of radio transmitter report submitted by the NBC.

The witness was asked to read a portion of the report, which he did. He said the report indicated that the transmitter was German made and that it was a radio transmitter made for use on FM frequency.

The witness said the report also stated that such transmitter could only be procured and installed after being issued a licence and that the NBC had not licensed Radio Biafra to broadcast in Nigeria.

The witness said, “In this case (Kanu’s case) there was no application from the defendant, he brought the transmitter in illegally without approval.”

He also said investigation confirmed that the defendant was the owner of the transmitter, which he kept in the premises of one Benjamin Madubugu.

The witness said Kanu later came into the country and inspected the transmitter and made a video to satisfy members of IPOB, who contributed money for the purchase of the transmitter.

Speaking further, the witness alleged that investigation revealed that the invasion of the Owerri prison by IPOB members was directed by Kanu in one of his broadcasts for his followers to attack and kill security operatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The DSS official alleged that further investigation revealed that the defendant, in his broadcast, directed that Ikonso should be buried with 2000 heads, but only 30 were gotten.

He said during one of DSS’ agents’ raid of ESN members’ hideout, “we saw some ESN members, about seven, with human heads and some eating human flesh, which they said was for spiritual fortification.”

On how the ESN members operated, the witness alleged that they were combatants, who carried arms and attacked homes of prominent individuals and traditional rulers in the region.

He said because they lacked sufficient operational tools, they sometimes set up roadblocks during which they hijacked vehicles for their operation.

Under cross examination by defence lawyer, OnyechiIkpeazu (SAN), the witness said there was no record of the importation of the transmitter said to have been smuggled into the country by Kanu.

He said he could not say when the transmitter was brought into the country, but he was among those who located where it was kept in Anambra State and brought it to the DSS headquarters in Abuja.

On how they were able to locate the transmitter, the witness said his team used some equipment to analyse a video (showing Kanu inspecting the transmitter) to ascertain the location of the transmitter in Anambra.

He said he did not come across the names, Benka Clearing and Forwarding and Chief Isaac Maduka, in the course of investigation. He also said he was not aware that Benka cleared the transmitter, as claimed by Ikpeazu.

When asked if he was aware that Radio Biafra was registered in London and broadcast from there, the witness said when Kanu was arrested in Lagos in 2015, he was arrested with his broadcast equipment.

He said he was not present when the defendant was arrested in Lagos and that all he said about his arrest in Lagos was what were relayed to him.

The witness said the two guns he said they found were not recovered in the container in which the transmitter was kept, but under the mattress of Benjamin Madubugu, who lived in the premises.

He added that Madubugu was later charged with unlawful possession of firearms.

The witness said the container was brought into the country by one IgweAnyiba, who was later found to be living outside the country.

He said he was not aware the Imo State government issued a statement to the effect that Gulak’s killing was political.

At the conclusion of the cross examination, the court discharged the witness, following which the judge, Justice James Omotosho, adjourned further hearing till June 19 for the prosecution to call its fifth witness.