The Department of State Security Service (DSS) has declared in Federal High Court, Abuja, that the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the paramilitary wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is operating illegally without any legal foundation.

This declaration came during the ongoing trial of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, where a DSS operative identified only as BBB testified under re-examination.

The witness, responding to questions from prosecution counsel Chief Adegboyega Awolowo SAN, explained the difference between ESN and Amotekun, the security outfit established in southwestern Nigeria.

"My lord, while the ESN is not a registered organization under any law, Amotekun was established following the law passed by the respective Houses of Assembly in the affected States," the witness clarified.

According to the DSS operative, Amotekun was legally established in the six southwestern states to support security agencies in combating insecurity, particularly kidnapping, armed robbery, and herdsmen-farmers conflicts.

IPOB, a proscribed pro-Biafra separatist movement, launched ESN in December 2020, reportedly in response to alleged targeted killings of Igbos by Fulani herdsmen.

During cross-examination by defense counsel Paul Erokoro SAN, the court admitted several pieces of evidence, including a certified true copy of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution of Victims of EndSARs and other Related Abuses and Related Matters, marked as exhibit PWUO.

The defense team also presented video evidence featuring public statements from DSS Director General Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, and former Chief of Army Staff and Defense Minister Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma.

In the video, DSS Director General Ajayi emphasized the need for community cooperation with security agencies, suggesting that communities should defend themselves against criminals in collaboration with authorities.

Governor Uzodinma's statement exonerated ESN from killings of politicians in Orlu, instead blaming opposition politicians. However, the DSS witness disputed this claim, alleging that ESN was responsible for killing innocent people, including both politicians and ordinary citizens.

Former Chief of Army Staff Danjuma was shown urging citizens to defend themselves, claiming that "if you are depending on the Armed Forces to stop the killings, you will die one by one."

Justice James Omotosho warned all parties against delay tactics, noting that it would be against the interest of justice to prolong the trial while Kanu remains in detention. The judge ordered the prosecution to conclude its case within six days, barring special circumstances.

The trial has been adjourned to May 28 and 29, and June 6, 16, 18, and 19, 2025, for the prosecution to close its case.