The fifth prosecution witness in the terrorism trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday that a total of 233 security agents were killed during the #EndSARS protest, allegedly owing to Kanu’s incitement.
The witness, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), who spoke at the Federal High Court, Abuja while testifying at the resumption of proceedings in the case on Thursday, was led in evidence by prosecuting lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).
According to the witness, at least 164 police stations and nine Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s offices were destroyed across the country, allegedly due to Kanu’s inciting remarks.
The witness said he knew Kanu through the mass media and had not met him personally.
He gave a breakdown of the incidents while growing through a report tendered by Awomolo, which the court admitted in evidence as exhibits.
The witness said 186 police officers, 37 military officers and 10 DSS operatives were killed during the mayhem in the South East and other parts of the country.
The PW5 notes that he was instructed to lead a team comprising officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and DSS, including photographers and other Investigators, to gather records of the criminality that occurred between 2020 and 2021 during the #EndSARS movement.
He added, “The assignment included taking records from heads of security agencies in the various states that we visited and updating death certificates of security agents that died and reports of damage to properties during the EndSARS protest
“There are photographs of public properties destroyed, the death certificates of officers that died and their pictures,” he said.
Awomolo later tendered a copy of the report on the assessment of the damage recorded, death reports and certificates of death of security agents, which the court admitted in evidence.
While going through death reports and certificates of death of security officers, the witness admitted that 186 policemen, 37 military officers and 10 DSS officers were killed during the protest.
He also gave a state-by-state breakdown of the number of deaths of security agents and the destruction recorded.
He said eight policemen were killed in Abia State, 16 in Enugu, 16 in Imo, eight in Delta, among others.
On the military personnel who lost their lives, he said Anambra recorded 12, Ebonyi recorded seven, Imo recorded three, Akwa Ibom had one death, etc, while DSS also lost officers in Abia, Anambra, among other states.
On the number of police stations attacked, the witness said Imo recorded 20, Cross River had five, Lagos recorded 38, Ondo recorded 11, Osun recorded 1, Ekiti had 3 and FCT recorded 1, among others, making a total of 164 police stations in all.
The PW-5 said out of the nine INEC facilities that were destroyed, Cross River recorded four, Anambra recorded one, Akwa Ibom recorded two, etc.
During cross examination, Ikpeazu asked the witness if he took part in the investigation of the charge against Kanu to which he said no.
“I am not privy to the allegations, but was only instructed to take records of public properties destroyed and security personnel killed during the #EndSARS protest as a result of statements made by the defendant,” he said.
He insisted that Kanu incited the protesters to kill security agents and even instructed them on how to manufacture objects used in the protest.
When asked if it was as a result of Kanu that there was a protest in Osun and the destruction of the Lagos court, the witness said, “I do not know that, but I was asked to obtain records as a result.”
“Was it the defendant who told the protesters to destroy the Lagos court?” the lawyer asked.
“It was on record that the defendant issued directives. My task was only limited to obtaining the records as a result of #EndSARS,” he said.
“But your statement was not limited to taking records, and that is why I am asking you,” Ikpeazu said.
When asked if the protest was a Biafran issue, the PW-5 said, “The fact speaks for itself. Before, during and after the #EndSARS protest, the defendant made statements, urging the protesters to carry out an insurrection against the Nigerian state.”
The witness also said that his assignment was not to investigate Biafra but to obtain records relating to the #EndSARS protest in which the IPOB leader made statements that led to mayhem at the time.
When asked if he had heard about Aisha Yesufu before, the witness said yes, but said he did not know if she is an IPOB member.
When further asked if Yesufu was Igbo, the witness said: “I do not think she is Igbo.”
When also asked if she is from Abia, the PW-5 said: “As I said, I have not investigated her (Yesufu) and do not know who she is.”
When asked if he was aware that the protest was as a result of police brutality, he said: “As experts, we know that in every protest, there are organic issues and issues that are around it and as experts, we are to identify the organic issues” though there might be secondary manifestations.
When asked if he knew SARS, the witness, who responded in the affirmative, said: “It is a Special Anti-Robbery Squad.”
When the lawyer restated that Nigerians protested as a result of their brutality, the official responded that “Nigerians were instigated by subversive elements to go against the government of the day
He admitted that though he was aware that there were extra-judicial killings by members of SARS in Lagos, Ibadan and Ifelodun in Oyo, he said he did not have the facts.
According to the witness, those allegations were used as a pretence by subversive elements.
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He said Kanu is from the South East and the leader of the IPOB.
After the cross-examination, Awomolo announced that the prosecution would be closing its case.
He said that after the evidence of the PW-5, the prosecution was satisfied that from the avalanche of evidence tendered, including broadcasts of activities of the leader of the IPOB, the prosecution was satisfied with the need to close its case.
The leader of the defendant’s legal team, Kanu Agabi (SAN) told the court that the defendant intends to make a no-case submission.
Justice James Omotosho then gave the defence 14 days to file and serve the prosecution with its no-case submission.
Justice Omotosho also gave the prosecution 14 days to respond and two days for the defence to reply on points of law.
He adjourned till July 18 for adoption for the adoption of the no-case submission.
