The fifth prosecution witness of the Federal Government (FG), yesterday, said that 233 security agents were killed during the #EndSARS protest as a result of incitement by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

The witness, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative, identified as Mr EEE for security reasons, stated this while being led in evidence by FG’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja. He also told the court that at least 164 police stations and nine Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices across the states were destroyed due to Kanu’s inciting remarks.

The witness said he knew Kanu through the media and had not met him personally. While giving the breakdown through the report tendered by Awomolo and admitted in evidence as an exhibit, the official said that 186 police officers, 37 military officers and 10 DSS operatives were killed during the mayhem in the South-East and other parts of the country.

He said he was instructed to lead a team comprising officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and DSS, including photographers and other investigators, to gather records of the criminality that occurred between 2020 and 2021 during the #EndSARS movement.

“The assignment included taking records from heads of security agencies in the various states that we visited and updating death certificates of security agents that died and report of damage to properties during the EndSARS protest.

“There are photographs of public properties destroyed, as well as the death certificates of officers that died and their pictures,” he said. Awomolo then sought the permission of the court for the report assessment on the damage recorded, death reports and certificates of death of security officers, including the certificate of compliance, to be shown to the witness and PW-5 identified them, making the lawyer apply to tender them as evidence.

Kanu’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, reserved their objection, which they planned to raise during the adoption of their written address. Justice Omotosho then admitted them in evidence and marked them as Exhibits PWD2, PWD2A and PWD2B, respectively.

While taking the witness through Exhibit PWD2A, which is the death reports and certificates of death of security officers, the official admitted that 186 policemen, 37 military officers and 10 DSS were killed during the protest.

He also gave a state-by-state synopsis of the number of deaths of security officers and the destruction recorded. He said that in Abia, eight policemen were killed, Enugu recorded 16, Imo recorded 16, and Delta had eight, among others.

On the military personnel who lost their lives, he said Anambra recorded 12, Ebonyi recorded seven, Imo recorded three, Akwa Ibom had one death, etc, while DSS also lost officers in Abia, Anambra, among other states.

On the number of police stations attacked, the witness said that Imo recorded 20, Cross River had five, Lagos recorded 38, Ondo recorded 11, Osun recorded one, Ekiti had three and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recorded one, among others, making a total of 164 police stations in all.

The PW-5 said that out of the nine INEC facilities that were destroyed, Cross River recorded four, Anambra recorded one, and Akwa Ibom recorded two, among others.

During cross-examination, Ikpeazu asked the witness if he took part in the investigation of the charge against Kanu. But he responded in the negative.

“I am not privy to the allegations but was only instructed to take records of public properties destroyed and security personnel killed during the #EndSARS protest, as a result of statements made by the defendant,” he said. He restated that Kanu incited the protesters to kill security agents and even instructed them on how to manufacture objects used in the protest.