The Federal Government on Tuesday began presenting its case against Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), disclosing new details about his 2015 arrest in a Lagos hotel.
The first prosecution witness, identified only as “AAA,” a veteran of 18 years with the Department of State Services (DSS), testified behind a screen at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, had earlier granted anonymity to the witnesses due to the sensitive nature of the case.
According to AAA, Kanu was arrested on October 14, 2015, in Room 303 of the Golden Tulip Hotel near Lagos International Airport, where he was found with a woman, Maria Ibezimakor, and radio broadcasting equipment allegedly used for Radio Biafra.
The witness testified that Kanu initially resisted arrest, even headbutting one of the officers. DSS agents had to conduct a room-by-room search after failing to find his name on the hotel’s guest list. The equipment found in the room was confiscated and taken to the DSS office in Lagos, where Kanu allegedly signed a document acknowledging ownership.
A video of Kanu’s interrogation was played in court and admitted into evidence. In the footage, Kanu admitted founding and running Radio Biafra without a Nigerian broadcast licence. He acknowledged the illegality but claimed he would not have received a licence even if he applied.
Describing himself as a communication engineer and freedom fighter, Kanu said his advocacy focused on the self-determination of people from Nigeria’s South-East, South-South, and Middle Belt regions, citing the UN Charter. He denied encouraging violence and stated that Radio Biafra operated personnel in the US, Russia, Italy, and Sweden—not in Nigeria. He added that Nigerians voluntarily rebroadcast the station’s messages.
Meanwhile, a request by Kanu’s lead counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kanu Agabi, to allow 22 lawyers on the defence team was rejected. The judge upheld the existing limit of 13 lawyers. Other defence team members include Audu Nunghe, Joseph Akubo, Emeka Etiaba, and Onyechi Ikpeazu.