Alleged terrorism charges: FG’s witness testifies in camera as Kanu’s trial begins

By Vivian Okejeme Abuja

The first prosecution witness in the trail of the self acclaimed leader of the Biafra nation, testified behind camera as the trail begins, Tuesday at the Federal high court,  Abuja.

At the resumed proceeding, Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, in an ex-parte application filed the FG, granted the permission for its witnesses to give evidence behind camera following a request to that effect.

Arguing the application, counsel to the prosecution, Chief Solomon Adegboyega, pleaded with Justice Omotosho that the identities of the witnesses be shielded from the public and protected for security reasons.

He informed the court that the charges against Kanu bothers on serious offense of terrorism, hence, the need to protect the witnesses.

The senior lawyer requested that the name of the witnesses and their other identities be shielded from the public for the general reasons of security.

Due to no objection from Kanu’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi SAN, Justice Omotosho granted the request.

The judge however ordered that Kanu must see the faces of those to testify in the trial.

Kanu’s lawyer however requested for similar cooperation from the federal government when bail application for Kanu would be argued.

At the opening of the trial, the first witness of the federal government, an operative of the Department of the State Service (DSS) was code named, PWAAA by Justice James Omotosho in line with the decision of the court not to make names of witnesses public.

In his evidence, the witness gave vivid accounts of his agency, acting on intelligence, deployed an 8-man operatives to a hotel in Ikeja, Lagos on October 15, 2015 where Kanu was arrested during a room to room search.

He said that the security men opted for room to room search because Kanu’s name was not on the hotel manifest adding that it was upon his arrest that they discovered he used his native name to secure the hotel accommodation.

The witness disclosed that several items including IPOB pamphlets, IPOB complementary cards, laptops, IPADS, microphones, microphone stand, flash drives, power adaptor for mixers, various brands of phones, perfumes, ATM cards, Wrist Watch, among others were recovered in Kanu’s hotel room and recorded.

The items brought to court by DSS in four suites were displayed in the open court and admitted as exhibits having not objected to by Kanu’s defense team

The witness told the court that the interrogation of Kanu was video recorded which was played in the open court and admitted as exhibits along with his written statement.