•Says freedom fighting is not a crime
•Court admits his statement, video clips in evidence
Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has admitted to establishing Radio Biafra in London, saying the station was created to advance the emancipation of the South-East, South-South, and parts of Benue and Kogi states.
Testifying in court, Kanu explained that the radio station, duly registered in the United Kingdom, was not licensed by Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) because, in his words, “there was no need to do that.”
He maintained that freedom fighting is not a crime under Nigerian or international law, stating, “It is a fundamental right.”
He distanced himself from any form of violence, asserting that his activities were strictly rooted in peaceful advocacy and the pursuit of self-determination.
“Freedom fighting is not a crime. It is a constitutional right I have chosen to exercise,” he told the court.
The development came as the Federal Government tendered in evidence a statement he made in 2015, shortly after his arrest by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS). The court admitted the statement as part of the ongoing trial on a seven-count charge of treasonable felony.
A DSS operative, who testified under the alias “PWAAA” and behind a protective screen in compliance with a court order, led the arrest team that apprehended Kanu on October 14, 2015, at the Golden Tulip Hotel, near Lagos International Airport. The witness testified that Kanu was found in the company of a woman at the time of arrest.
As part of the evidence presented, the DSS team tendered video footages of the post-arrest interrogation sessions. The recordings were played in open court and accompanied by a reading of his 2015 statement.
Kanu’s legal team, led by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), did not object to the submissions.
In addition, four suitcases containing various items seized from the hotel room were brought before the court.
Earlier in the session, Justice James Omotosho granted the Federal Government’s application to shield prosecution witnesses from public view. The judge approved the use of pseudonyms and screens to conceal identities, citing security concerns and the sensitive nature of the case.
Prosecuting counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) had filed an ex-parte motion requesting the protection. The defence did not oppose the move.
“While the witnesses will be shielded from the public, they will remain visible to the court,” Justice Omotosho ruled.
The trial has been adjourned to May 2, 2025, for the cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness.
Kanu, who has long been at the centre of Nigeria’s most high-profile separatist movement, continues to face stiff charges, even as public debate lingers over the legitimacy and scope of his agitation for an independent Biafran state.
Credit: The Sun