Sh*ck In Court: Judge Throws Out FG’s Evidence Against Nnamdi Kanu

A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected key pieces of evidence the Federal Government attempted to submit in the ongoing trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The prosecution had sought to present video and documentary evidence, including alleged confessional statements made by Kanu during detention. However, his legal team, led by Paul Erokoro, opposed the submission, arguing that the statements were obtained under duress.

Following this objection, the court ordered a trial-within-a-trial to determine the voluntariness of the statements. On Thursday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that despite the lack of clear signs of coercion in the video, Kanu’s consistent claims of being interrogated without a lawyer could not be ignored.

Citing a Supreme Court precedent, the judge affirmed that every suspect is entitled to legal representation during interrogation—a fundamental human right. Consequently, he ruled the statements made in October and November 2015 inadmissible and upheld the defence’s objection.

Afterward, the prosecution’s third witness (PW-3), a Department of State Services (DSS) officer, resumed his testimony and presented a video titled “Interview with Sahara TV,” which the court admitted and played.

In the video, Kanu made several inflammatory remarks, describing Nigeria as a “zoo” and accusing prominent Igbo leaders—including Ike Nwachukwu, Jim Nwobodo, Peter Obi, and Rochas Okorocha—of crimes against the Igbo people. He also issued violent threats, warning of chaos if Biafra was not granted, comparing the potential aftermath to the Somali civil war.

During cross-examination, the witness admitted he did not investigate the veracity of Kanu’s claims, stating that his task was only to confirm that Kanu made the statements.

Justice Omotosho adjourned further proceedings to June 13, 16, 17, 18, and 19 for continuation of the trial.