The Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted into evidence a radio transmitter allegedly smuggled into the country by the detained self-acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Justice James Omotosho admitted the transmitter along with a 20-foot container in which it was allegedly brought into Nigeria from London without the relevant customs documentation.
On Friday, the judge admitted the container as Exhibit PWY and the radio transmitter as Exhibit PWZ during a brief proceeding conducted at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.
The court’s decision to hold the session at the DSS facility followed an oral application by the prosecuting counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who requested an inspection of the transmitter and container stored at the DSS premises.
Awomolo made the application during the testimony of the fourth prosecution witness (PW4), who described how the transmitter and container were recovered from a property in Ubuluisiuzor, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The prosecuting counsel explained that it was impractical to bring the items to the courtroom, urging the court to temporarily relocate to the DSS facility to inspect and admit the exhibits.
Defence counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) did not object to the application, which was subsequently granted by the judge.
Earlier in his testimony, PW4, a DSS operative, told the court he knew Kanu as the leader of IPOB, a group agitating for the secession of Nigeria’s Southeast, parts of the South-South, as well as Benue and Kogi states, to form a sovereign Biafra Republic.
He said Kanu used Radio Biafra to disseminate propaganda and incite his followers to commit acts of violence and terrorism.
The witness, who was involved in the investigation, said his agency received intelligence in October 2015 that Kanu had smuggled an FM radio transmitter into the country hidden inside a container.
According to him, the transmitter was concealed among household items and was not declared to the Nigeria Customs Service. He said it was intended for use in broadcasting Radio Biafra.
The witness stated he later watched a video showing Kanu and his associate, Benjamin Madubugu, inspecting the transmitter, describing it as a “game changer.”
“After watching the video, I was instructed to obtain a warrant, locate the transmitter and recover it,” he said, adding that the device was found at the residence of Madubugu, who lived there with his family and brother, Francis.
The search warrant, obtained from a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ihiala, was executed at Madubugu’s residence, where the transmitter was found inside a 20-foot container. Other items recovered included two unlicensed pump-action guns, laptops, ammunition, and a small quantity of marijuana.
“The transmitter was concealed with household items, including second-hand clothes. When we asked Benjamin about the other items we saw in the video, he said one Chimezie had taken them away,” the witness told the court.
Awomolo then tendered a video recording showing Kanu inspecting the container and its contents, including the transmitter. In the video, Kanu, assisted by another individual and filmed by a third, opens the container and discusses how the transmitter would be used.
At one point, Kanu is seen placing his hand on the device and saying: “This is the monster itself. This is what will destroy enemies of Biafra… this is the nuclear monster that will destroy the zoo.”
When asked what “the zoo” referred to, the witness replied, “The defendant was referring to Nigeria.”
The witness confirmed that the video was recorded at Madubugu’s residence in Ubuluisiuzor.
He said after recovering the transmitter, Madubugu was arrested and gave a statement on November 3, 2015, which was admitted in evidence and read aloud in court.
In the statement, Madubugu admitted he agreed to keep the container on the condition that he would retain it after its contents were evacuated. He confirmed Kanu inspected the container and stated it would be used for Radio Biafra operations. The visit and video recording occurred between March and April 2015.
The witness said Madubugu was arraigned alongside Kanu before Justice Binta Nyako, but the trials were later separated when Kanu jumped bail. Madubugu remains on trial before Justice Nyako.
PW4, who previously served in the South-East, testified that IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), have severely disrupted social and economic life in the region.
“ESN is the militant arm of IPOB. All ESN members are IPOB members, but not all IPOB members are ESN. They follow the defendant’s orders, which are broadcast via Radio Biafra. They are trained in guerrilla warfare and engage in terrorism. They kill, maim, and propagate hatred against other ethnic groups, particularly the Hausa/Fulani,” the witness said.
He added that the DSS maintains a dedicated unit to monitor and record Kanu’s Radio Biafra broadcasts.
Awomolo tendered several audio recordings of such broadcasts, which were admitted into evidence. In one dated May 29, 2021, Kanu used derogatory terms to describe then-Minister of Works David Umahi, former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, and his successor Hope Uzodinma.
He labeled South-East politicians as “fools, vagabonds, and idiots” and declared a sit-at-home order for May 31, 2021, warning that anyone who disobeyed the directive would die.
“If you come out on the 31st, you are going to die, and if the zoo army tries anything, they will be confronted,” Kanu said in the broadcast, describing the Nigerian Army as “cowards” who attack civilians.
In another broadcast on May 30, Kanu ordered a total lockdown of the South-East and threatened that anyone who opened their shop would be burnt alive with the shop.
However, in a May 31 broadcast, he urged his followers not to attack businesses but to focus on targeting their “enemies.”
The witness also spoke of an ESN commander, Nwokike Anyinayo Andy, alias Ikonso, who was killed by security forces on April 24, 2021, in his hometown, Awomama, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.
He said Kanu, in a broadcast on April 25, mourned Ikonso, praised him, and vowed there would be consequences.
According to the witness, Kanu claimed Ikonso was killed in his sleep by security operatives and declared that he would be buried with “2,000 heads.”
However, during the arrest of an IPOB member, Emeyiri Uzoma Benjamin (a.k.a. Onye Army), he reportedly confessed that only 30 heads had been obtained.
The prosecution also tendered a Vanguard newspaper publication detailing Benjamin’s alleged statement.
The matter has been adjourned to June 18, 19, and 20 for the continuation of the trial, during which the prosecution is expected to close its case.
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