Federal court accepts evidence alleging Kanu incited protests that killed 186 officers, razed stations.
Defense questions report’s credibility, citing lack of direct links and missing verification details.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted into evidence a Department of State Services (DSS) report alleging that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was involved in inciting violence during the #EndSARS protests that reportedly led to the deaths of 186 police officers and the destruction of 164 police stations.
Justice James Omotoso made the ruling on Thursday during the continuation of Kanu’s terrorism trial. The DSS report was presented by lead prosecutor Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) through the fifth prosecution witness, identified only as Mr. EEE for security purposes.
EEE, a DSS operative, told the court he was deployed to the South-East and other regions during the #EndSARS protests to gather intelligence and document acts of violence. He said although he had never met Kanu personally, he knew of him through the media. His team’s responsibility, he added, was to collect evidence of public property destruction and the deaths of security personnel, which were allegedly triggered by Kanu’s inflammatory broadcasts.
Among the documents submitted and accepted by the court were a damage assessment report, several death certificates of affected security personnel, and a certificate of compliance. Although the defense team opposed the admissibility of these materials, formal arguments were deferred to a later date.
According to the DSS report, violence during the protests resulted in the deaths of 186 police officers, 37 soldiers, and 10 DSS agents. It also stated that 164 police stations and nine Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices were destroyed in 17 states, including Lagos, Abia, Anambra, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, and Rivers. The report attributed these incidents to broadcasts and directives issued by Kanu.
However, during cross-examination, lead defense counsel Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) challenged the report’s credibility. He questioned the basis for linking Kanu directly to the destruction, asking the witness whether he personally investigated the defendant.
In response, EEE said he was assigned to investigate the destruction and attributed the acts of violence to instructions Kanu allegedly gave to IPOB supporters. But under further questioning, he admitted he could not point to any specific section of the report where deaths were directly linked to IPOB members. “There is no single caption that links the deaths to IPOB in any specific part of the report. It’s a voluminous document,” he said.
Ikpeazu also scrutinized the technical details of the report, noting the lack of dates on photographic evidence, missing signatures, and the absence of specific information about the victims, such as their names, towns, or the medical examiners involved. The witness acknowledged that while he served as the secretary responsible for certifying the document, he did not personally sign it.
The defense also questioned whether prominent #EndSARS activist Aisha Yesufu was investigated, to which the witness responded that his assignment was limited to assessing damages from the protests, not investigating individual activists or the Biafra movement.
According to the DSS operative, although the protests initially addressed legitimate concerns such as police brutality, they were eventually hijacked by “subversive elements” who incited attacks on the state.
As proceedings wrapped up, lead prosecutor Chief Awomolo urged the court to consider the evidence sufficient to proceed with the case. However, defense lawyer Kanu Agabi (SAN) submitted a no-case application, arguing that the evidence did not link his client directly to the alleged crimes.
Justice Omotoso granted both sides 14 days to file written arguments on the no-case submission, with an additional two days allocated for replies based on points of law.
