A Department of State Services (DSS) operative testified on Wednesday that Biafra nation agitator Nnamdi Kanu's incitement through Radio Biafra broadcasts directly led to widespread violence and killings in Nigeria's South Eastern region.
The witness, code-named PWDDD, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that between 170 and 200 security operatives were killed following Kanu's directives to his followers to target specific individuals, including security personnel.
Led in evidence by federal government lawyer Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, the DSS operative linked the May 2021 killing of former presidential aide Ahmed Gulak to orders allegedly given by Kanu to members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Illegal Radio Operations
The witness testified that Kanu had smuggled a radio transmitter into Nigeria without proper authorization from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). After recovering the transmitter from a premises in Ubuluisiuzor, Anambra State, the DSS invited NBC engineers to inspect it.
"The report indicated that the transmitter was German-made for use on FM frequency," the witness stated. "Such transmitter could only be procured and installed after being issued a license, and the NBC has not licensed Radio Biafra to broadcast in Nigeria."
He added, "In this case, there was no application from the defendant; he brought the transmitter in illegally without approval."
ESN Activities and Violence
The court heard disturbing details about the activities of IPOB's armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The witness referenced confessions from an arrested ESN commander identified as Uzuoma Benjamin, aka "Onye Army," who allegedly revealed how Kanu directed them to kill security agents.
According to the testimony, Kanu had ordered that a deceased ESN member named Ikonso be buried with 2,000 human heads. The witness also claimed that during a DSS raid on an ESN hideout, they found members with human heads, "which they said was for spiritual fortification."
The DSS operative testified that ESN members operated as combatants who attacked homes of prominent individuals and traditional rulers in the region. "Because they lacked sufficient operational tools, they sometimes set up roadblocks during which they hijacked vehicles for their operation," he said.
Ahmed Gulak's Killing
The witness provided a detailed account of former presidential aide Ahmed Gulak's killing on May 30, 2021, stating he was among the first responders to the scene. According to the testimony, Gulak was in a hired cab heading to the airport from Owerri when they encountered a checkpoint manned by IPOB members after taking an alternate route.
"The driver told me they were ordered to disembark and identify their tribes," the witness recounted. "While the driver could speak Igbo when asked, Gulak could not. They asked him to remove his cap and saw a Muslim prayer mark on his forehead, after which one of the IPOB members said 'he is one of them' before shooting and killing him."
Defense Cross-Examination
During cross-examination by defense lawyer Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN, the witness admitted there was no record of the importation of the transmitter allegedly smuggled into the country by Kanu. He also acknowledged he was not present when Kanu was arrested in Lagos in 2015.
The witness further stated he was unaware that the Imo State Government had issued a statement suggesting Gulak's killing was politically motivated.
After the conclusion of cross-examination, Justice James Omotosho adjourned further hearing until June 19 for the prosecution to call its fifth witness.
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