Court Admits Videos Of Kanu’s Radio Biafra Transmitter
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, admitted three videos including one where the leader of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is seen inspecting a radio transmitter allegedly smuggled into the country.
This was one of the highlights at the resumed hearing of the terrorism trial of Biafra nation agitator Nnamdi Kanu, where he allegedly made statements under duress, sometime in October and November 2015.
The Radio Biafra transmitter known as “Tram 50L” was kept at Ubuluisiuzor in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State where he carried out an inspection.
The third prosecution witness, an operative of the Department of State Services, known as Mr CCC, during the trial-within-trial, dismissed claims that the DSS used threats of solitary confinement to extract statements from the defendant.
Kanu had claimed that one Mr Brown, a DSS operative, made the threat about solitary confinement in the ‘dungeon,’ but the witness clarified that the names of the officers who took part in the interview are James, Ibrahim and Collins, with no Mr Brown among them.
Mr CCC said that Kanu was given presidential treatment and therefore expressed shock at the allegations of using any form of force to get him to make certain statements including calling Presidents Jonathan and Buhari unprintable names, and also alleged that Senator Rochas Okorocha ‘Islamised’ his people.
These are statements according to the witness were allegedly made by Kanu when he granted an interview to a US-based online medium known as Sahara Reporters during which the proscribed IPOB leader used the term ‘Zoo’ to refer to Nigeria.
The contentious items are three written statements made at the DSS Headquarters by Kanu on October 23rd, 24th and November 4th, 2015.
The statements along with video recording of his oral statements of October 21 and 23, 2015 were also tendered.
Justice James Omotosho took the path of trial within trial to clear the air on the admissibility or otherwise of the statements Kanu claimed were gotten under duress.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that ‘it is law that whenever an issue of involuntariness is raised, the Evidence Act and the law” requires that an order for trial within trial be made to determine whether a statement was taken under duress or otherwise.
The trial judge held that establishing duress will therefore make the statement in contention inadmissible and therefore informed parties in the case that at the end of the trial within trial, the Court will also rule on how the absence of the defendant’s lawyers affects the case of the defendant.
In the three footage played in Court by the prosecution to prove that Nnamdi Kanu made his statements voluntarily, the Biafra nation agitator admitted to being the founder and director of Radio Biafra.
In one of the footages, Kanu claims that the Biafra’s cause enjoys funding across the globe from all those who believe in the ideals of the secessionist agenda and also claimed that the group has representatives in over 80 countries.
At some point during trial within trial, Nnamdi Kanu took the witness stand to give evidence in his case during which he said in his testimony, that he was struck by a DSS operative when he was picked up in Lagos in 2015, adding that the same operative later apologised on their way to the airport enroute to Abuja.
Meanwhile, Justice James Omotosho has adjourned the matter till Thursday May 29 for continuation of the hearing and to deliver ruling on the admissibility of the statements.
