The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) coerced him into making confessional statements following his arrest in 2015.

Kanu made these revelations on Wednesday during his ongoing trial when the prosecution presented its third witness, identified only as CCC for security reasons.

The witness, who was part of the DSS team that investigated Kanu in 2015, testified that he and two other officers interviewed the IPOB leader on multiple occasions between October 21-24 and November 4, 2015. These interviews were reportedly recorded on video, with Kanu providing written statements after each session.

When federal government counsel Adegboyega Awomolo attempted to tender two video CDs containing the interviews and three copies of statements allegedly written by Kanu as evidence, the defense raised objections.

Claims of Duress and Intimidation

Paul Erokoro, one of Kanu's senior advocates, informed the court that his client had just disclosed that the written statements were made under duress. According to Erokoro, DSS operatives denied Kanu access to legal representation, threatened to deny him bail, and withheld his daily hour of fresh air that had been recommended due to his health condition.

This prompted Justice James Omotosho to order a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether Kanu's statements were indeed voluntary.

During his testimony, Kanu described his treatment following arrest, claiming he was chained, blindfolded, and flown from Lagos to an unknown destination in Abuja. He alleged he was kept in solitary confinement without light, and that a DSS official identified as "Mr. Brown," reportedly an assistant director of investigations, threatened him to cooperate during interviews.

"Mr. Brown threatened me that if I don't do what they ask, they will stop giving me that one-hour break," Kanu testified through his lawyer, referring to the daily fresh air break recommended by a facility doctor after he began experiencing nosebleeds due to poor cell conditions.

The IPOB leader further claimed that portions of the video interviews presented in court had been edited, and that DSS operatives had dictated the content of his written statements.

While the DSS witness maintained that Kanu provided his statements voluntarily, the defense counsel challenged this assertion, suggesting that the witness would have no knowledge of threats made to Kanu in his cell by other DSS personnel.

Following the conclusion of the trial-within-a-trial, Justice Omotosho directed both prosecution and defense teams to adopt their written addresses and file them by 9 a.m. on May 29.

The outcome of this procedural hearing will determine whether Kanu's alleged confessional statements will be admitted as evidence in his ongoing trial.