A prosecution witness on Thursday told the federal high court in Abuja that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), incited violence that led to the killing of 233 security personnel during the #EndSARS protests.
The witness, identified as EEE, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative, made the claim while being led in evidence by the federal government’s counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, before Justice James Omotosho.
The operative said the violence also led to the destruction of 164 police stations and nine Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices across various states.
He said he was instructed to lead a joint DSS and police team to compile records of public infrastructure damaged and security personnel killed during the protests between 2020 and 2021.
“Our assignment included taking records from heads of security agencies and updating death certificates of officers who died, as well as compiling damage to public properties,” he said.
The court admitted documents tendered by the prosecution—including reports, photographs, and death certificates—as Exhibits PWD2, PWD2A, and PWD2B.
Giving a breakdown of the casualties, the witness said 186 police officers, 37 military personnel, and 10 DSS operatives were killed.
He said Imo state recorded 20 police stations attacked, Lagos 38, Cross River five, while others were recorded in Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, and the FCT, bringing the total to 164.
He added that out of the nine INEC offices destroyed, four were in Cross River, two in Akwa Ibom, and one in Anambra.
During cross-examination, Kanu’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, asked whether the witness participated in investigating the charges against Kanu.
The witness responded: “I am not privy to the allegations but was instructed to collect records of public property destroyed and security personnel killed as a result of statements made by the defendant.”
Ikpeazu queried the direct link between Kanu and the destruction in Osun and Lagos courts, but the witness said his duty was only to gather records, not determine causality.
He maintained that “before, during, and after the #EndSARS protest, the defendant made statements urging protesters to carry out insurrection against the Nigerian state.”
When asked if the protests were Biafra-related, the witness said: “The facts speak for themselves.”
On whether he knew activist Aisha Yesufu, the witness replied affirmatively but denied knowing if she was an IPOB member or of Igbo descent.
Ikpeazu asked whether the protests arose due to police brutality.
The DSS operative acknowledged the existence of “organic issues” but added that “subversive elements” used the situation as cover to incite unrest.
He admitted that there were allegations of extrajudicial killings by SARS officers in Lagos, Ibadan, and Ifelodun in Oyo state but said he had no concrete facts.
Following the testimony, Awomolo informed the court that the prosecution had closed its case.
“With the evidence tendered, including broadcasts and activities of the IPOB leader, the government has sufficiently satisfied the need to close its case,” he said.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi, SAN, said the defence would file a no-case submission.
Justice Omotosho granted 14 days for the defence to file the application, 14 days for the prosecution to respond, and two days for reply on points of law.
The matter was adjourned to July 18 for adoption of written addresses.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
