Nigeria goment close dia case for Ipob leader trial but Nnamdi Kanu lawyers wan file no-case submission

Nnamdi Kanu in court, Thursday 19 June, 2025.
    • Author, Chukwunaeme Obiejesi
    • Role, Reporter
    • Reporting from, Abuja
  • Read am in 5 mins

Lawyers to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), don tok say dem go file a no-case submission on top di terrorism allegation wey di Nigeria goment sama on top dia client.

Kanu Agabi wey be di lead defence team for Nnamdi Kanu, tok dis one for court on Thursday afta di federal goment counsel - Adegboyega Awomolo - inform di court say dem dey close dia case.

For di hearing on Thursday, Awomolo call dia fifth and final witness, Mr EEE (no be im real name), who be officer of di Department of State Services.

Di witness tell di court say na im lead investigation into di impact of di End SARS protest wey bin happun for across di kontri in October of 2020, and im be di secretary of di presidential ad-hoc committee on di assessment of impact of di end sars protest.

E say im and im team bin travel to all di states for Southern Nigeria wia End SARS protest bin happun and e document di public properties wey pipo destroy and di number of security personnel wey kpai during di protest.

Awomolo present to di court a copy of di report of di committee, and Nnamdi Kanu lawyers say dem get objection, but dem go raise am for dia written address. Di trial Judge, James Omotosho admit di document in evidence.

According to di report, a total of 128 policemen, 37 army pipo and 10 DSS pipo bin die during di protest. Also di protesters destroy a total of 164 police stations and 19 Inec facilities across di kontri.

'Nnamdi Kanu broadcasts na di major cause of End SARS protest'

Picture of two women wearing nose masks displaying placards during the End SARS nationwide protest in Nigeria, October 2020.
Wetin we call dis foto, Nigerian youths bin carry out ogbonge nationwide protest in October of 2020 sake of alleged police brutality.

As e dey give im witness, oga EEE tok say dia investigation reveal say di broadcasts wey Nnamdi Kanu bin dey do ova di years, na im be di underlying cause of di insurrection.

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E say: "As a trained security expert, we know say evri insurrection dey get two causes, di one wey pipo dey see and di underlying cause wey pipo no see, wey be di main cause of di insurrection."

During cross-examination, Onyechi Ikpeazu wey be one of Nnamdi Kanu lawyers ask di witness say: "So, di entire End SARS protest na bicos di defendant ask pipo to protest?" EEE ansa say im no know about dat but e know say di defendant bin don dey tell pipo make dem attack security officials and destroy public property.

"So when pipo bin destroy properties for Osun and Lagos state during the End SARS protest, you dey tell di court say na bicos di defendant ask dem to do am? Shey you dey categorically say di End SARS issue na Biafran issue?" Ikpeazu ask.

Di witness respond say "my assignment no be to investigate Biafra, my assignment na to investigate di End SARS issue to which di defendant bin incite di public."

EEE insist say di issue of police brutality fit be di secondary cause of di protest, but di real reasons na bicos say some subversive elements bin don dey incite di public against di goment. Nnamdi Kanu broadcasts na one of dose underlying causes.

Di defense counsel den ask for a copy of di Lagos State judicial panel of enquiry into the End SARS protest, wey dem bin don tendered in evidence as exhibit PWO.

E tell di witness say: "I put it to you say dis report no mention di defendant name or di IPOB or to indict dem for di damages wey happen during di End SARS protest." Oga EEE reply say im neva read di report so e no know wetin e tok.

Also during di cross examination Ikpeazu point out to di witness some discrepancies for di document including say dem no give details of di dead bodies of di security pipo wey dem claim say Ipob/ESN pipo kill durin End SARS, and di fact say neither di witness wey claim to be secretary of di investigative committee nor di chairman of di committee sign di document.

Ikpeazu also point out to di witness say di part of di report wey concern oda states of di kontri, di title na 'Report of di Assessment of di damage of impact of di End SARS protest', but from page 669 wey concern states in di southeast region, di title na 'Report of di Presidential adhoc committee investigating di activities of di leader of IPOB and ESN'.

"I put it to you dat for di purpose of dis trial, una manufacture pages 669 downwards of dis document and den attach am to di report of the Assessment of di damage of impact of the end SARS protest," Ikpeazu tell di witness, and e say "No, dat is not di case".

Afta di cross exmaination, FG lawyer Awomolo inform di court say dem don exhaust dia materials for di trial as dem don call five witnesses and tender plenty documents in evidence, "we hereby close our case".

Di lead defence counsel, Kanu Agabi tell di court say dem intend to file a no-case submission.

No-case submission na legal term wey mean to say di defence team dey tok say di prosecution no do enough to establish any case against di defendant, so make di court strike out di case.

Justice Omotosho give both di prosecution and defence teams 14 days each to file dia written addresses, and e adjourn di matter to Friday, 18 July, 2025, for adoption of written addresses in respect of no case submission.