Nnamdi Kanu lawyers play video of T.Y Danjuma, DG DSS, Hope Uzodinma for court to support dia case

Counsel for Nnamdi Kanu don play videos for court wey show retired Army General T.Y Danjuma and di Director General of DSS Adeola Ajayi wia dem dey tell di public make dem rise up and defend diasef from terrorists and bandits.

Paul Erokoro (SAN) tender dis videos for court dis Wednesday, during di conclusion of cross examination of di second prosecution witness - Mr BBB - for di ongoing trial of Kanu, leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob).

Ipob na group wey dey fight for separation for Nigeria, but goment don declare dem as a terrorist organisation and charge Kanu dia leader wit terrorism. Kanu don dey for di custody of di Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021.

Inside one of di videos, oga T.Y Danjuma dey tok for wetin look like academic gathering bicos e bin wear one academic gown.

E tok say: "Di armed forces no dey neutral, dem dey collude wit armed bandits and terrorists who dey kill pipo. Dem dey give dem information, dem dey cover dem. And if una dey depend on di armed forces to stop di killings, una go all die one by one."

Di second video show di DG of DSS, Adeola Ajayi as e dey give speech for one event, and e give example wit one community wey im name na Azare for Bauchi State, wia e took say dem fight back against Boko Haram terrorists wey attack dem and kpai all of dem, "and since den no attack don ever happen for Azare again".

For di video, Ajayi give anoda example of one community - Tafawa Balewa for Sokoto State - who bin mobilize and stop bandit attacks for dia community, kpai all di bandits and take dia weapons.

"You no expect say di army and police and security forces go secure everywhere for Nigeria. E dey impossible. We gatz get di community to rise and defend diasef and di time to do am na now," di DG tok for di video.

Ajayi also say make di community come to di DSS and dem go give dem di necessary approval and strategy to organise diasef against attacks.

Di last video wey Kanu lawyers play na wia di guvnor of Imo State hope Uzodinma tok say: "If anybodi tell you say Ipob dey responsible for di killings for Orlu zone, e no dey correct. Na wicked politicians dey sponsor di killings for Orlu."

Uzodinma, for di video, ask politicians to embrace di spirit of Easter and comot hand for violence and killings fo di state.

Afta di videos don play, Erokoro ask di witness wetin e think. Mr BBB ansa say e support wetin di DG of DSS tok one hundred percent, bicos e dey advice di pipo to get approval bifor dem go mobilise to defend diasef.

On di TY Danjuma video, di witness say e hear wetin di retired General tok, but e no go make any comment about am.

"You dey aware whether di DSS arrest Danjuma afta e make dis comments?" Erokoro ask, and BBB say e no dey aware of any arrest.

For di video Hope Uzodinma, oga BBB say e belive say di guvnor dey refer to political killings for Imo State, but di killings wey IPOB members dey carry out cut across security pipo, civilians and evribodi including politicians.

During re-examination, prosecution lawyer Adegboyega Awomolo ask di witness to clarify di difference betwin Amotekun and di Eastern Security Network wey be di security outfit dat Nnamdi Kanu and Ipob bin set up.

BBB explain say dem no be di same tin bicos Amotekun dey recognised by law sake of say na all di state houses of assembly for di southwest make legislation to pass am into law, and e also dey registered, but ESN no dey like dat.

'Panel of enquiry on End SARS no indict Ipob'

Also for di court session, Nnamdi Kanu lawyer, Erokoro tender di report of di Lagos state judicial panel of enquiry on restitution for victims of the end sars protest as evidence.

Dis na afta e ask di witness e dey aware of di End SARS protest and di report of di panel wey investigate di protest.

Mr BBB say im dey aware of di protest and di report.

"You dey aware say di report bin indict security agencies for dat protest?" Erokoro ask, and BBB say e no dey aware.

Erokoro den bring out di panel report and give am to di witness to read out di title and to check weda di document na certified true copy. Afta dat, e apply to tender di document in evidence.

Trial Judge, James Omotosho admit di evidence and mark am as exhibit PWO, afta Awomolo say e no get any objection.

Also durin di cross-examination, Kanu lawyer ask di witness weda di video of ESN members wey dem bin play for court show say any of di alleged ESN pipo bin carry arms. BBB say e no see any of dem wit gun, but arms fit dey inside dia clothes wey pesin no see.

"What kind of arm fit dey concealed like dat," Erokoro ask am, and e reply say pesin fit hide pistols, daggers and even grenade inside dia cloth.

Six days for prosecution to close dia case - Judge

Afta di cross-examination and re-examination, Justice Omotosho say e dey determined to give accelerated hearing to di matter so dat e no go enta di period wen judges go start dia vacation by late July.

E ask both counsels to discus and pick six days inside di next two weeks, so dat di prosecution go call all dia witness and close dia case.

"No matter di number of witness wey di prosecution get, if dem no call all of dem and close dia case within dis six days, I go deem dia case closed," Omotosho tok.

Nnamdi Kanu lead counsel, Kanu Agabi, and Adegboyega Awomolo wey be di lead prosecutor later agree on May 28, 29 and June 6, 16, 18, 19, 2025.

Justice Omotosho adjourn di matter to di dates for continuation of hearing and possible closing of prosecution case.

Brief Background

Nnamdi Kanu na di leader of Ipob, group we dey fight for di independence of di southeast region of Nigeria. He also be di owner of Radio Bifra wey dey for London wia e dey broadcast im secessionist messages.

Di Nigeria goment bin first arrest and arraign Kanu for court in 2015, on top accuse of terrorism, treason, and plan to scatter di goment.

Court later grant am bail on health grounds in 2017, but e run comot for Nigeria afta e claim say soldiers invade im house to kill am and dem kill 28 pipo.

Kanu continue to dey spread im message on top Radio Biafra and for im social media handles.

In June 2021, security forces arrest Kanu for Kenya and bring am by force to Nigeria to continue im trial. Kanu and im lawyers dey claim say e dey illegal how dem kidnap am from Kenya and rendition am by force.

Di matter start again bifor Justice Binta Nyako; a total of 15-count charges na wetin di goment sama Kanu.

Justice Nyako later strike out eight of di charges, remaining di following seven:

Kanu lawyers take di matter to di court of appeal wia dem strike out all di charges and discharge and acquit Kanu.

However, di Supreme Court rule say Kanu get case to ansa and dem return di matter to di High Court.

Kanu later tok say e no get confidence on Binta Nyako to deliver Justice for di matter, and di judge las las wash her hand comot.

Dem reassign di case to Justice James Omotosho and e start afresh as Nnamdi Kanu plead not guilty to di charges.