I bin dey under duress wen di DSS take my statements - Nnamdi Kanu tell court
Di trial of Nnamdi Kanu leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) kontinu on Wednesday for di Federal High Court Abuja, wia Kanu tell di court say one DSS officer bin threaten am to cooperate bifor e write im statement wen dem bin first arrest am for October 2015.
Kanu make dis allegation afta di Nigeria goment call dia third witness for di case, Mr CCC.
Like di first two witnesses - Mr AAA and BBB - oga CCC tok say e follow for di DSS officers wey bin investigate Kanu wen dem arrest am in 2015.
E tok say im and two oda DSS officers bin interview Kanu on October 21, 22, 23 and 24, and again on November 4, and say di interview dey recorded on video and Kanu bin also write statement afta evri interview.
Lawyer to di goment, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), tender two CDs wey contain di interviews and also three copies of statements wey Kanu bin write.
Di defense team no object to di items, but later, Paul Erokoro (SAN) wey dey speak on behalf of Kanu tell di court say di defendant just inform am say e bin write di statements under duress.
Sake of dis allegation, Justice Omotosho order for trial within trial to ascertain weda true-true di Kanu no give di statement voluntarily.
Trial within trial
As di Trial within trial start, di DSS witness Mr CCC tok say Nnamdi Kanu write im statement voluntarily and nobody force am.
"I dey surprise to hear now as e tok say im bin dey under duress wen e dey write di statement," CCC tok.
During cross-examination, Paul Erokoro ask di witness kwesions about weda e know all di officers for di DSS headquarters, how di DSS dey detain pipo, and weda e get any contact wit Kanu or enter im cell bifor di interviews.
CCC say e no enta Kanu cell, but e know say dem get housekeepers wey fit dey interact wit am.
Erokoro tell am say: "I put it to you say if any DSS officer named Mr Brown bin visit di defendant for im cell to threaten am, you no fit know." And CCC respond say di DSS no dey operate like dat.
Di Defence team den start dia defence for di trial within trial, and Nnamdi Kanu imsef enta di witness box as defence witness.
Kanu say di coercion by di DSS bin start from Lagos wen dem chain hand and leg, blindfold am and put am for plane and even wen dem land for Abuja, e no know wia dem carry am go.
E narrate how di DSS bin keep am for solitary confinement wia light no dey enta, and how one Mr Brown wey be di Assistant Director of Investigations for di DSS bin don cut am warning say if e no cooperate for di interview, e go remain for dat dungeon cell.
Also, according to Kanu, sake of im heart condition and di condition of im cell, e dey usually get nose bleedings and one medical doctor for di DSS facility bin advice make dem dey bring am out of im cell at least one hour evri day to take fresh air.
"Oga Brown threaten me say if I no do wetin dem ask me, dem go stop to dey give me dat one hour break," Kanu tok.
During cross-examination by di prosecution, Kanu maintain say some of di tins wey e tok during di interview, di DSS don edit am comot, but even di video wey dem play for court show as di DSS pipo dey shout for am, dey tell am wetin to write for im statement.
Kanu witness bring di trial within trial to a close, and Justice Omotosho ask both di prosecution and defence teams to adopt dia written addresses and file for court by 9am di next day wey be Thursday, May 29, 2025.
E adjourn di matter to di next day for ruling on di trial within trial and continuation of hearing.
Wetin bin don happen for di trial
For di last adjourned date, Justice Omotosho bin give di prosecution team di following dates: May 28, 29, and June 6, 16, 18, 19, 2025 to finish dia case so dat di defence team go start dia defence.
So far, di Nigeria goment don call two witnesses - Mr AAA and Mr BBB. Both of dem na DSS officers wey lead di first arrest of Nnamdi Kanu in 2017 and di investigation from 2021 afta Kanu rearrest respectively.
Witness AAA bin tell di court how di DSS bin first arrest Kanu for one hotel close to di Lagos Airport in October 2017, wit one woman wey bin dey wit am, including plenty broadcasting materials wey dem recover from am.
But during cross-examination, e admit say dem no recover any dangerous weapon or instrument of terrorism for im hand.
Also Mr AAA say evidence dey, wey link Nnamdi Kanu wit di insecurity for di south east region.
For im own witness, Mr BBB say na im lead investigation into allegations of terrorism against Kanu afta security officials re-arrest am for Kenya in 2021, even though e deny say na DSS pipo arrest am for Kenya.
BBB say dia evidence bin establish say broadcasts wey Kanu bin dey make on top Radio Biafra and im social media handles, dey directly connected to violence and killings for Lagos State during di End SARS protest of 2020, and also for di southeast region.
However, for cross-examination, Kanu lawyers present di report of di Lagos panel of enquiry into di End SARS protest, wey according to am no indict Kanu or Ipob for any violence.
Also, Kanu lawyers bin play some videos to retired Army General T.Y Danjuma, di Director General of di Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi, wia dem dey call on di public to rise up and defend diasef from terrorist and bandit attacks.
Dem also play video of di guvnor of Imo State Hope Uzodinma, wia e tok say Ipob no dey responsible for di killings in Imo State, but rather na politicians dey behind am.
