A federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, heard that the broadcasts made by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, led to the killing of a former Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, and others.

An official of the Department of State Services (DSS) said this as he resumed his testimony as the second prosecution witness in the ongoing terrorism trial of Kanu.

The witness, who said he was part of the DSS team that investigated the complaint made against Kanu by the then Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, said the defendant’s broadcast also led to the killing of a retired judge, Justice Stanley Nnaji, and an intending military couple, Sergeant Audu Lucas and Private Glory Matthew.

The witness said Kanu, in one of his broadcasts, ordered his followers to enforce a sit-at-home in all Southeastern states, resulting in the killing of people who went out of their houses on that day. He said the investigation revealed that Sergeant Lucas and Private Matthew were not only killed by those who were enforcing Kanu’s sit-at-home order, but they were also beheaded.

The witness said the investigation also revealed that before killing Gulak, those enforcing the sit-at-home directive by Kanu, blamed him (Gulak) for coming out on a day their leader asked people not to go out of their homes. He added that from their investigation, they found that Kanu founded IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN), which is the armed wing of IPOB, and that he was the leader of both groups.

However, Kanu, yesterday, said in a video played in court that the destructions witnessed during the #EndSAR protest in October 2020 could not have been as a result of his broadcasts on Biafra Radio.

The IPOB leader stated this during his interrogation by the Department of State Service (DSS) on July 17, 2021, and the video evidence was played before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He, however, admitted making broadcasts in respect of the #EndSARS protest and other broadcasts on Biafra Radio. He said the protest that took place in Lagos was outside the Biafran territory and that the mayhem witnessed during the period could not have been a result of his broadcast.

Kanu confirmed being the founder and leader of IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN), noting, however, that he was not directly involved in the day-to-day running of both organisations, saying they were managed by their states’ coordinators.

The IPOB leader pointed out that he did not have authority over his members, adding that if he had had authority over them, he would not have subscribed to a referendum. He said he would have just pronounced Biafra into existence.

In the video, Kanu denied that IPOB was responsible for the violent attacks in parts of the South-East and the killings witnessed. He maintained that IPOB was a peaceful and non-violent movement.

Kanu, who said he facilitated the establishment of ESN, explained that the organisation was necessitated by the killings of the people of the South-East.