Nnamdi Kanu had no weapon during 2015 arrest – DSS witness

Nnamdi Kanu had no weapon during 2015 arrest – DSS witness

 

A witness of the Federal Government admitted at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday that no weapon of terrorism or violence was recovered from the Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, during his arrest on October 15, 2015, in Lagos.

The witness, who is an operative of the Department of the State Service (DSS) and code-named PWAAA, also informed the court that no arms of public disturbance were recovered from the lady arrested along with Kanu.

During cross-examination conducted by Kanu’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi SAN, before Justice James Omotosho, the witness said that all the items recovered in the hotel room were personal properties of the Biafra nation agitator.

He, however, said that the recovered items may not be ordinarily offensive, but the intention of the defendant may be something else.

PWAAA also told the court that he did not analyze any of the items because his mandate was to effect arrest and obtain a statement from Kanu.

Answering a question, the DSS operative admitted analyzing the cell phone of the defendant, but the report of the analysis was not made available to the court because it was immaterial.

In the 10 years that the items were impounded, he admitted that the properties may have lost value and become of no use.

He explained that he did not bring anybody before Kanu to confront him on any issue of terrorism.

The witness also admitted that Kanu’s statement was obtained without the presence of his lawyer and that statements were not obtained from other persons.

He admitted not knowing any person put on trial by the Federal Government on account of agitation from the Biafran nation.

According to him, the one he knew is Simon Ekpa, who he said would soon be brought to the country for trial for supporting Kanu in the agitation.

The witness said that he read in the newspapers and on social media those backing the defendant in the agitation.

He said that he did not remember Kanu complaining of corruption in high places, unemployment among youths, and tendering apologies to the President for insults hurled at him and negative remarks against Igbo leaders.

The witness said that he could not remember when Kanu described IPOB as a voluntary organisation that was not involved in carrying arms against the nation.

He admitted that there were killings in some parts of the country, especially in the North, but that the government has been doing its best to stem the tide of the killings.

The witness also said he would not know whether the killings were a result of self-determination agitation.