A witness from the Department of State Services (DSS), identified only by the code name PWAAA, testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, shedding new light on the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). According to the testimony, no weapons linked to terrorism or violence were recovered from Kanu when he was apprehended at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Lagos International Airport, on October 14, 2015.
Naturenex gathered that the Federal Government’s witness also told the court that nothing capable of inciting public unrest was found on the woman arrested alongside Kanu.
Under cross-examination by Kanu’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi SAN, the DSS operative explained that all the items taken from the IPOB leader were his personal belongings, noting that while they may not be outwardly harmful, their intended use was unclear.
PWAAA further told the court that his assignment was limited to making the arrest and securing a statement from Kanu, not analysing the items recovered. However, he acknowledged that Kanu’s cell phone was analysed, although the findings were deemed irrelevant to the case and thus not submitted to the court.
In an admission that drew murmurs in court, the operative disclosed that over the 10 years the items had been held in custody, many of them might have depreciated or become obsolete.
Items reportedly recovered and admitted as exhibits included personal electronics and gadgets such as a black laptop, multiple transmitters, iPads, MacBooks, modems, mobile phones, speakers, microphones, a camcorder, headphones, and a mini drone soundwave speaker.
Additionally, personal effects ranging from wristwatches, perfumes, footwear, cards, and personal documents to passports bearing both Nigerian and British identities were seized. Other miscellaneous items included extension wires, flash drives, power adaptors, and bank cards.
