“Why I Want Governors, Ministers and Military Chiefs as Witnesses” – Nnamdi Kanu

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, says his decision to call governors, ministers, and former military chiefs as witnesses in his terrorism trial is aimed at proving his innocence and exposing what he describes as systemic abuses of power and state repression.

In a statement filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja and personally signed by him, Kanu said the testimonies of the 23 witnesses he plans to call are vital to establishing the truth behind his arrest, rendition, and the 2017 military invasion of his home in Abia State. He added that their evidence would also help the court understand the political and security context of his case.

Kanu explained that he wants the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to testify on the alleged “Obigbo massacre” following the EndSARS protests, saying it is crucial to demonstrate how state forces were deployed under his authority. He said Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma would clarify public statements made after the killing of Ahmed Gulak, which he argues wrongly linked IPOB to the incident.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is to testify on the findings of the Lagos EndSARS Judicial Panel, particularly those related to the Lekki Toll Gate incident, which Kanu said illustrates a pattern of state repression against peaceful agitation.

He said retired General Theophilus Danjuma’s testimony is needed to highlight his 2018 call for self-defence against infiltrated armed forces, which supports IPOB’s position on community protection. Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, according to Kanu, will provide clarity on the military chain of command responsible for the 2017 invasion of his residence.

Kanu also wants former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to explain his role in what he calls the “illegal extraordinary rendition” that brought him from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021. He said the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, and his predecessor, Yusuf Bichi, would testify on the legality of that rendition, as well as his treatment in custody.

He listed former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, among those to explain the diplomatic coordination of his transfer to Nigeria.

Kanu said his witness list also includes experts and community leaders who will help the court understand IPOB’s activities as a lawful self-determination movement rather than a terrorist group. Among them are U.S.-based human rights lawyer Bruce Fein, digital-security expert Barry Sutton from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Professor Martin Aghaji, his treating physician, and Chief Emeka Umeagbalasi, a political history expert.

According to him, their testimonies are necessary to show “the political motives, procedural violations, and human rights abuses” that have defined his case. Kanu said he wants the court to “see justice done and manifestly seen to be done,” insisting that the witnesses’ evidence would expose the truth behind his prosecution.

He has therefore asked the court to extend the period granted for his defence from six days to 90, arguing that the complexity and importance of the testimonies require more time for proper presentation.