A Prosecution Witness in the ongoing trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said the Biafra agitator confirmed making a broadcast in which he called for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to be killed.
The witness said Kanu, in a broadcast, announced a N100 milion bounty for Wike’s head.
He, also, called for the burning of all Tinubu’s assets.
The second prosecution witness disclosed this while being led in evidence by prosecuting lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo at the Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday.
He informed the court that the IPOB leader made the confirmation while his statement was being taken on July 17, 2021.
Shortly after the witness identified copies of Kanu’s recorded broadcast, which were saved on a flash drive, the court admitted them into evidence, following which they were played in court.
The recorded broadcasts, seven in all, were played in the open court.
In the broadcast made on December 12, 2020, Kanu said, like the Amotekun Corps (created by the South West states) and Miyeti Allah group, ESN is intended as an organised vigilante outfit to safeguard the South East.
Towards the end of the broadcast, Kanu called on his followers to go after Wike and kill him for allegedly offering a N50 million bounty for the head of a Biafran.
He said Wike does not deserve to live and that he deserves to die, threatening that such treatment will be visited on any Governor who presides over the killings of his people.
The second broadcast was that made on October 20, 2020, in which Kanu directed his followers, during the End SARS protest, to cause mayhem in Lagos and to kill Tinubu because he is a traitor and an evil man who should be taught a lesson.
Kanu also told his followers to kill police personnel and other uniformed people and said: “Tinubu’s hotel must be burnt down. Tinubu should not be allowed to escape.”
In the third broadcast, the IPOB leader announced that he was placing a N100 million bounty on Wike’s head and encouraged his followers to “take Wike down.”
Kanu said, “N100m for anyone who can take Wike down. Dead or alive, Wike is N100m. I will pay cash. Take down Wike, I will pay you cash.
“The bounty on Wike’s head is N100m. Get me his head, you will get N100m. Wike offered N50m for the head of a Biafran.”
The witness read from the petition, which alleged that Kanu, through various broadcasts, incited attacks on police and military personnel, resulting in killings, arson, and the destruction of public institutions including police stations and correctional centres.
The witness said: “He instructed, through his broadcast, that police and army seen, should be brought down and their guns seized and used.”
The court also admitted Kanu’s written statement to the DSS, dated July 17, 2021, in which he declined to make a fresh written submission, stating he had already said all he needed to about the allegations.
In another video that was played in court, one voice which the DSS witness said belongs Nnamdi Kanu could be heard telling people to “go and burn down Lagos”, “set Murtala Mohammed Airport on fire”, “burn down that Tinubu hotel”, “go into the bush, collect policemen’s guns and kill them”, etc.
Also, in another video, that same voice that is allegedly Nnamdi Kanu’s could be heard saying, “Every Federal government building in Lagos should be set on fire. Any government vehicle you see, burn them. Manufacture your own weapons, ambush them”.
Yet in another audio recording, a voice allegedly belonging to Kanu was addressing people who called into his program thus: “Any police officer you kill, go to their station and set it on fire. Kill them. They are janjaweeds.”
The voice also said: “Tinubu is in trouble, he cannot run. Anywhere he runs to in this world we will find him.
“If we don’t behave like mad people in this zoological republic, this revolution will not work.
“Start killing soldiers now, set ambush for them, dig holes on the roads so that when their vehicle comes, it will somersault and they will die”.
This particular audio recording was made during the End SARS protest of October 2020 because the voice could be heard taking calls from people across Nigeria who give him update of what’s happening where they are.
One of the callers that said he’s from Ogbor Hill in Aba said they need guns, but the alleged Nnamdi Kanu’s voice told him to join “the elite Biafra volunteer force” and he would understand how things work.
In another voice recording, a voice allegedly belonging to Nnamdi Kanu could be heard announcing a “total sit-at-home situation in the southeast tomorrow”.
“Nobody is allowed to come out no matter who you are. If you dare open your shop tomorrow we’ll burn you inside that shop,” the voice threatened.
Also, another audio recording was played wherein the alleged Nnamdi Kanu voice could be heard telling a man over the phone: “There are some guns already on Edo State, take those guns and kill some army officers, take their guns and use it to attack the others”.
PW2-Mr BBB told the court that the recordings had been played to Nnamdi Kanu and he admitted that he made them.
Another video was played showing Nnamdi Kanu addressing people in what looked like a conference.
In the video, Kanu made some remarks which included that guns and weapons were needed for the Biafran struggle.
The last video showed Kanu saying that the Fulani ethnic group wants to take over the entire country as they took over Hausa territories.
“The only way to stop this is by a revolution,” he said.
In another video that was played in court, one voice which the DSS witness said belongs Nnamdi Kanu could be heard telling people to “go and burn down Lagos”, “set Murtala Mohammed Airport on fire”, “burn down that Tinubu hotel”, “go into the bush, collect policemen’s guns and kill them”, etc.
Also, in another video, that same voice that is allegedly Nnamdi Kanu’s could be heard saying: “Every Federal government building in Lagos should be set on fire. Any government vehicle you see, burn them. Manufacture your own weapons, ambush them”.
Yet in another audio recording, a voice allegedly belonging to Kanu was addressing people who called into his program thus: “any police officer you kill, go to their station and set it on fire. Kill them. They are janjaweeds”.
The voice also said “Tinubu is in trouble, he cannot run. Anywhere he runs to in this world we will find him”. “If we don’t behave like mad people in this zoological republic, this revolution will not work”. “Start killing soldiers now, set ambush for them, dig holes on the roads so that when their vehicle come it will somersault and they will die”.
One of the callers that said he’s from Ogbor Hill in Aba said they need guns, but the alleged Nnamdi Kanu’s voice told him to join “the elite Biafra volunteer force” and he would understand how things work.
In another voice recording, a voice allegedly belonging to Nnamdi Kanu could be heard announcing a “total sit-at-home situation in the southeast tomorrow”.
“Nobody is allowed to come out no matter who you are. If you dare open your shop tomorrow we’ll burn you inside that shop,”!the voice threatened.
Also, another audio recording was played wherein the alleged Nnamdi Kanu voice could be heard telling a man over the phone that “there are some guns already on Edo state, take those guns and kill some army officers, take their guns and use it to attack the others”.
A CD plate of Nnamdi Kanu’s interview/interrogation at the DSS headquarters on July 17, 2021, was also presented in court. Though the defense team objected to its admissibility, they said their reasons would be given later.
The CD plate and the accompanying certificate of compliance were accepted in evidence and marked exhibit PWI and PWI-1 respectively.
The Federal Government gazette of September 20, 2017, which proscribed IPOB as a terrorist organization was also presented in court and admitted in evidence, marked exhibit PWJ.
Prosecution counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, asked for the court for an adjournment until Thursday May 8, 2025 for continuation of hearing.
