Court hears chilling audio recordings as Nnamdi Kanu’s trial resumes in Abuja

A Federal High Court in Abuja was once again the scene of high-stakes legal drama, on Wednesday, as the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), resumed before Justice James Omotosho.

The session saw the prosecution present a series of damning materials, including petitions, video and audio recordings, and formal documents purportedly linking the separatist figure to terrorism, incitement to violence, and threats to national security.

Kanu, who has been in detention since his arrest in 2021, is facing a slew of charges tied to his advocacy for Biafran independence. But the tone of the courtroom shifted on Wednesday as a masked witness, identified only by the code name BBB, took the stand to present evidence described as “critical” by the prosecution.

Led by senior prosecutor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adegboyega Awomolo, BBB testified about a petition reportedly signed by former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN. The petition, dated June 17, 2021, accused Kanu of orchestrating violence against state institutions and was submitted to the Department of State Services (DSS). It was admitted into evidence without objection by the defence, led by Kanu Agabi, SAN, and marked as Exhibit PWF.

According to BBB, the petition detailed how Kanu allegedly used online broadcasts to incite violence against Nigerian security forces, leading to attacks, destruction of police stations, correctional facilities, and civilian casualties. “He instructed, through his broadcast, that police and army personnel should be brought down and their guns seized and used,” the witness stated.

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The court also admitted a written statement from Kanu dated July 17, 2021, in which he declined to provide additional comments to the DSS. This was marked Exhibit PEG.

Perhaps the most explosive moments came as the prosecution introduced a flash drive said to contain multiple audio and video clips of Kanu’s broadcasts. Despite objections from the defence, the court admitted the flash drive and accompanying certificate of compliance as Exhibits PWA and PW1.

Among the clips played in open court was a December 2020 recording where a voice, allegedly Kanu’s, declared the formation of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and called for resistance against what he described as “Fulani domination.” In another video, he warned governors in the southeast against “political compromises,” threatening dire consequences for non-compliance.

But the most disturbing evidence presented involved a string of voice recordings in which the speaker, allegedly Kanu, called for widespread violence:

• “Go and burn down Lagos,”
• “Set Murtala Mohammed Airport on fire,”
• “Burn down that Tinubu hotel,”
• “Collect policemen’s guns and kill them.”

In yet another tape allegedly recorded during the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, the same voice was heard inciting arson and murder, directing followers to “start killing soldiers now” and to booby-trap roads to kill army personnel.

One caller from Aba was heard requesting firearms. The alleged voice of Kanu responded by urging him to join the “elite Biafra volunteer force.”

A separate clip revealed an alleged sit-at-home order, with the speaker warning, “If you dare open your shop tomorrow, we’ll burn you inside it.”

In another conversation, the same voice urged a listener to use smuggled weapons in Edo State to ambush military officers.

The prosecution also presented a CD recording of Kanu’s interrogation at the DSS headquarters on July 17, 2021. Despite resistance from the defence, the court admitted both the CD and the certificate of compliance as Exhibits PWI and PWI-1.

The government’s 2017 gazette officially designating IPOB as a terrorist organization was also introduced and marked as Exhibit PWJ.

Throughout the proceedings, Kanu, dressed in his usual white attire, remained composed, occasionally whispering with his legal team.

The prosecution has requested an adjournment until Thursday, May 8, 2025, for the continuation of the hearing. The courtroom emptied slowly, with murmurs of concern and debate trailing from observers and journalists alike.

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