Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted as evidence, a radio transmitter that was said to have been smuggled into the country by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Justice James Omotosho yesterday admitted the transmitter along with a 20-foot container on which it was allegedly brought into the country from London without relevant customs documentations.
Justice Omotosho admitted the container as Exhibit PWY and the radio transmitter as Exhibit PWZ during a brief proceeding conducted on Friday within the premises of the headmasters of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.
The decision of the court to conduct the proceeding in the DSS headquarters was informed by an oral application by prosecuting lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who prayed the court to inspect the transmitter and container which was kept in the DSS’ facility.
Awomolo made the application midway into the testimony of the fourth prosecution witness, who among others, testified about how the transmitter and container were recovered in a premises in Ubuluisiuzor in Ihiala local government of Anambra State.
He said it was impossible for the prosecution to bring the transmitter and the container to the court premises and urged the court to relocate to where they are kept for the purpose of sighting and for the prosecution to tender them.
Defence lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) did not object to Awomolo’s application which was subsequently granted by the judge.
Earlier in his testimony, the fourth prosecution witness, a DSS agent, told the court that he knew Kanu as the leader of IPOB, a group campaigning for the secession of the South Eastern states, parts of the South-South states, Benue and Kogi states from Nigeria to form a Biafra Republic.
He said Kanu utilised his Radio Biafra to propagate his messages and incite his followers to engage in violence and other terrorism activities.
The witness, who said he was among those who investigated the allegations against Kanu, told the court that sometimes in October 15, his agency got intelligence that Kanu smuggled into the country an FM radio transmitter, in a container.
He said the transmitter, which was concealed among household items in the container, was not declared to the Nigeria Customs and that It was to be used for Radio Biafra.
The witness said he later saw a video where the defendant (Kanu) and one of his associates, Benjamin Madubugu were inspecting the transmitter l, which they described as a game changer.
“After I watched the video, I was instructed to obtain a warrant, locate the transmitter and relocate it,” the witness said, adding that himself and others located the transmitter in the premises where Modubugu lived with his family and a brother named Francis and relocated it. The case gas been further adjourned to June 18, 19 and 20.
