Nnamdi Kanu

The federal government yesterday closed its case against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, after calling its fifth and final witness in the ongoing terrorism trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Kanu is standing trial on an eight-count charge bordering on terrorism and secession-related activities.

The fifth prosecution witness, identified in court as Mr EEE, is a serving officer of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja. During his testimony, he told the court that while he was familiar with Kanu through media reports, he had never met him in person.

Mr EEE said he led a DSS team to various parts of Southern Nigeria to obtain records of incidents linked to the 2020–2021 EndSARS protest. According to him, their findings indicated that 128 police officers, 37 soldiers, and 10 DSS personnel were killed during the unrest. He also claimed that 164 police stations and 19 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices were destroyed.

However, under cross-examination by Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), the witness admitted that he did not participate in any investigation directly linked to Kanu or IPOB. He also confirmed that he was unaware of any evidence linking IPOB to violence in cities like Lagos, Ibadan, and Ile-Ife and said he had no knowledge of the Lagos State Judicial Panel’s findings on the EndSARS protests, which did not implicate the pro-Biafra group.

Following Mr EEE’s testimony, the prosecution informed the court that it had concluded its case, expressing confidence that the evidence presented was sufficient to sustain the charges.

In response, the defence informed the court of its intention to file a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against Kanu.

Justice James Omotosho granted the defence 14 days from June 24 to file its submission and gave the prosecution an additional 14 days to respond. The matter was adjourned to July 18, 2025, for the adoption of final written addresses.