On Wednesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja was informed that between 170 and 200 security personnel had been killed in the South East as a result of actions attributed to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed faction, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The court also heard that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) did not grant a license to Nnamdi Kanu, the detained self-proclaimed IPOB leader, for the radio transmitter he allegedly smuggled into Nigeria to run Radio Biafra. A Department of State Services (DSS) official provided this information while testifying as the fourth prosecution witness in Kanu’s ongoing terrorism trial.
Under examination by lead prosecutor Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), the witness claimed that an ESN member named Uzuoma Benjamin, also known as Onye Army, stated that the group received instructions from Kanu to target and kill security forces and that a deceased ESN commander, Ikonso, was to be buried with 2,000 human heads.
The DSS official testified that further investigations showed that, although 2,000 human heads were initially intended for Ikonso’s burial, only 30 were ultimately obtained.
He also provided an account of how Ahmed Gulak, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was killed on May 30, 2021, in Owerri, Imo State.
Additionally, the witness read a statement attributed to Onye Army, in which he confessed that he and other group members used the heads of 10 girls to make protective charms.
The official added that investigations indicated the attack on the Owerri prison was ordered by Nnamdi Kanu during one of his broadcasts, instructing his followers to assault and kill federal security personnel.
The witness stated that after he and his team retrieved a radio transmitter from a property in Ubuluisiuzor, Anambra State, and transported it to Abuja, the DSS contacted the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to conduct an inspection.
He informed the court that on November 9, 2015, the NBC dispatched an engineer who examined the transmitter and later submitted a report.
Prosecuting counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, then presented a certified true copy of the NBC’s provisional assessment report on the transmitter as evidence.
The witness was asked to read a section of the report aloud, which he did. He noted that the report described the device as a German-manufactured FM radio transmitter.
The report also clarified that such a transmitter required proper licensing before procurement and installation, and confirmed that Radio Biafra had not been licensed by the NBC to operate within Nigeria.
The DSS official testified that his team’s investigation established that operating a radio station in Nigeria requires applying to the appropriate regulatory authority and obtaining a license, which is only granted after clearance by relevant security agencies.
He stated that in Nnamdi Kanu’s case, no such application was made, and that Kanu illegally imported the transmitter without proper authorization.
The witness added that investigations confirmed Kanu as the owner of the transmitter, which was stored at the residence of one Benjamin Madubugu. He noted that Kanu later returned to Nigeria, inspected the transmitter, and recorded a video to show IPOB members who had contributed funds for its purchase.
The witness also referenced reports from Vanguard newspaper, which published confessions from a captured commander of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) detailing the group’s activities.
He said the DSS had requested access to Onye Army from the police, but were told he had escaped custody.
The witness recounted that during a DSS raid on an ESN hideout, agents encountered about seven ESN members, some of whom were found with human heads and allegedly eating human flesh, claiming it was for spiritual protection. He reiterated that Onye Army could not be located, with police insisting he had escaped.
The witness stated that documented records indicate between 170 and 200 security personnel were allegedly killed in the South East. He noted that the casualties included two DSS operatives, one of whom was his driver, and that the victims came from various security agencies.
Describing the operations of ESN members, the witness said they function as armed combatants who have launched attacks on the homes of prominent individuals and traditional leaders in the region.
Due to a lack of adequate resources, the group often sets up roadblocks to hijack vehicles for use in their activities.
The witness also identified several public properties, such as police stations that he claimed were vandalized or destroyed by IPOB and ESN members in the South East.
Regarding the killing of Ahmed Gulak, he said he was among the first responders at the scene, where the late PDP chieftain’s body was recovered.
The witness testified that on May 30, 2021, there was a complete breakdown of law and order in the region following a stay-at-home directive issued by the defendant during one of his broadcasts.
Later that day, he said, one of his officers informed him that a well-known politician had been killed near Obiagwu. Upon arriving at the scene, they confirmed the incident.
According to the witness, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area told him that Ahmed Gulak was traveling in a hired cab when he was shot by suspected IPOB members.
The cab driver reportedly told the witness that they were en route to the airport from Owerri town when they encountered a checkpoint manned by Nigerian Air Force personnel, who were restricting access to the airport. As a result, they took an alternate route and ended up at a checkpoint set up by IPOB members.
The driver said the IPOB operatives ordered all three occupants of the vehicle to get out and then asked them to state their ethnic backgrounds.
The witness stated that, according to the driver, he identified himself as Igbo and claimed that Gulak also said he was Igbo. However, when they were asked to speak the language, only the driver was able to do so. Gulak could not, and when he was asked to remove his cap, the attackers noticed a visible Muslim prayer mark on his forehead.
The driver said that upon seeing the mark, one of the IPOB members declared, "he is one of them," after which they shot and killed him.
The DSS official, who served in Imo State from 2019 to 2023, told the court that Gulak's body was transported from the scene in his own vehicle.
During cross-examination by Defence counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), the witness confirmed that there was no official record of the transmitter allegedly smuggled into the country by Nnamdi Kanu.
He admitted he could not specify when the transmitter was brought in but said he was part of the team that located it in Anambra State and transported it to the DSS headquarters in Abuja.
Explaining how they found the transmitter, he said his team used specialized equipment to analyze a video showing Kanu inspecting the device, which helped them determine its location.
The witness stated that during the investigation, he did not come across the names Benka Clearing and Forwarding or Chief Isaac Maduka, and said he had no knowledge of the claim that Benka handled the clearance of the transmitter, as suggested by defence counsel Ikpeazu.
When questioned about whether he was aware that Radio Biafra was registered and broadcast from London, the witness responded that during Kanu’s 2016 arrest in Lagos, he was found with broadcasting equipment. However, he clarified that he was not present at the time of Kanu’s arrest and that the information he provided about it was based on reports he received.
He further explained that the two firearms recovered were not found in the container housing the transmitter, but rather hidden under the mattress of Benjamin Madubugu, who lived at the location. Madubugu was subsequently charged with illegal possession of firearms.
The witness also testified that the container used to bring in the transmitter was imported by one Igwe Anyiba, who was later discovered to be residing abroad.
He added that he was unaware of any statement released by the Imo State Government suggesting that Ahmed Gulak’s assassination was politically motivated.
After the cross-examination concluded, the court discharged the witness. Justice James Omotosho then adjourned the trial to Thursday for the prosecution to present its fifth witness.