The 5th prosecution witness of the federal government on Thursday said that a total of 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, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He also told the court that at least 164 police stations and nine offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were destroyed due to Kanu’s inciting remarks.

The witness stated that he was familiar with 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 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 stated that he was instructed to lead a team comprising officers from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the 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 who died, and reports of damage to properties during the EndSARS protest

“There are photographs of public properties destroyed, 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, prompting the lawyer to apply to tender them as evidence.

Kanu’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, reserved their objection, which they planned to raise during the adoption of their written address.

Justice Omotosho then admitted them into 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 in Abia, eight policemen were killed, Enugu recorded 16, Imo recorded 16, 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. At the same time, DSS also lost officers in Abia, Anambra, and other states.

Regarding the number of police stations attacked, the witness stated that Imo recorded 20, Cross River had five, Lagos recorded 38, Ondo recorded 11, Osun recorded one, Ekiti had three, and the FCT recorded one, among others, totalling 164 police stations across all states.

The PW-5 stated that out of the nine INEC facilities destroyed, Cross River recorded four, Anambra recorded one, Akwa Ibom recorded two, and so on.

During cross-examination, Ikpeazu asked the witness if he had participated in the investigation of the charges against Kanu, but he responded negatively.

“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.

When asked if it was as a result of Kanu that there was a protest in Osun and the destruction of the Lagos court, the witness said, “I do not know that, but I was asked to obtain records as a result.”

“Was it the defendant who told the protesters to destroy the Lagos court?” the lawyer asked.

“It was on record that the defendant issued directives. My task was limited only to obtaining the records as a result of #EndSARS,” the witness said.

“But your statement was not limited to taking records, and that is why I am asking you,” Ikpeazu said.

When asked if the protest was a Biafran issue, the PW-5 said, “The fact speaks for itself. Before, during and after the #EndSARS protest, the defendant made statements, urging the protesters to carry out insurrection against the Nigerian state.”

The witness also said that his assignment was not to investigate Biafra but to obtain records relating to the #EndSARS protest in which the IPOB leader made statements that led to mayhem at the time.

When asked if he had heard about Aisha Yusufu before, the witness responded in the affirmative.

“Is she an IPOB member?” the lawyer asked.

“I don’t know,” the witness responded.

When further asked if Yesufu was Igbo, he said, “I do not think she is Igbo.”

When asked if she was from Abia, the PW-5 replied, “As I said, I have not investigated her (Yesufu) and do not know who she is.”

When asked if he was aware that the protest emanated as a result of the police brutality, he said, “As experts, we know that in every protest, there are organic issues and issues that lace around it and as experts, we are to identify the organic issues, though there might be secondary manifestations.”

When asked if he knew SARS, the witness, who responded in the affirmative, said, “It is Special Anti-Robbery Squad.”

When the lawyer restated that Nigerians protested as a result of their brutality, the official responded that “Nigerians were instigated by subversive elements to go against the government of the day.”

He admitted that though he was aware that there were extrajudicial killings by members of SARS in Lagos, Ibadan and Ifelodun in Oyo, he said he did not have the facts.

According to the witness, those allegations were used as a pretence by subversive elements.

He said Kanu is from the South East and the leader of the IPOB.

After the cross-examination, Awomolo announced that the prosecution would be closing its case.

He said that after considering the evidence of PW-5, the prosecution was satisfied that, from the avalanche of evidence tendered, including broadcasts of the leader of IPOB’s activities, the government had sufficiently demonstrated its case.

“I therefore close the case,” the senior lawyer said.

After the announcement, the lead defence counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, informed the court that they would be opting for a no-case submission.

The judge then gave the defence 14 days to file and serve the prosecution with the application and also gave the prosecution 14 days to respond to the no-case submission, as well as two days for the defence to respond on points of law.

Justice Omotosho then adjourned until July 18.