The federal government’s fifth prosecution witness (PW-5) on Thursday alleged that 233 security agents were killed during the #EndSARS protest as a result of incitement by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The witness, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative, identified as EEE for security reasons, made this claim while being led in evidence by prosecution lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He also told the court that at least 164 police stations and nine Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices across the states were destroyed due to Kanu’s inciting remarks.
The witness said he knew Kanu through the mass media and had not met him personally.
While giving the breakdown through the report tendered by Awomolo and admitted in evidence as exhibit, the official said that 186 police officers, 37 military officers and 10 DSS operatives were killed during the mayhem in the South East and other parts of the country.
He said he was instructed to lead a team comprising officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and DSS, including photographers and other Investigators, to gather records of the criminality between 2020 and 2021 during the #EndSARS movement.
“The assignment included taking records from heads of security agencies in the various states that we visited and updating death certificates of security agents who died, and reports of damage to properties during the EndSARS protest.
“There are photographs of public properties destroyed, the death certificates of officers that died, and their pictures,” he said.
Awomolo then sought the court’s permission for the report assessment on the damage recorded, death reports, and certificates of death of security officers, including the certificate of compliance, to be shown to the witness, and PW-5 identified them, causing the lawyer to apply to tender them as evidence.
Kanu’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, reserved their objection, which they planned to raise while adopting their written address.
Justice Omotosho then admitted them into evidence and marked them as Exhibits PWD2, PWD2A and PWD2B respectively.
While taking the witness through Exhibit PWD2A, which is the death reports and certificates of death of security officers, the official admitted that 186 policemen, 37 military officers and 10 DSS were killed during the protest.
He also gave a state-by-state synopsis of the number of deaths of security officers and the destruction recorded.
He said in Abia, eight policemen were killed, Enugu recorded 16, Imo recorded 16, Delta had eight, among others.
On the military personnel who lost their lives, he said Anambra recorded 12, Ebonyi recorded seven, Imo recorded three, Akwa Ibom had one death, etc. At the same time, DSS also lost officers in Abia and Anambra, among other states.
On the number of police stations attacked, the witness said Imo recorded 20, Cross River had five, Lagos recorded 38, Ondo recorded 11, Osun recorded 1, Ekiti had 3, and FCT recorded 1, among others, making a total of 164 police stations in all.
The PW-5 said out of the nine INEC facilities that were destroyed, Cross River recorded four, Anambra recorded one, Akwa Ibom recorded two, etc.
During cross-examination, Ikpeazu asked the witness if he had taken part in investigating the charge against Kanu, but he responded negatively.
“I am not privy to the allegations but was only instructed to take records of public properties destroyed and security personnel killed during the #EndSARS protest as a result of statements made by the defendant,” he said.
He restated that Kanu incited the protesters to kill security agents and even instructed them on how to manufacture objects used in the protest.
When asked if it was because of Kanu that there was a protest in Osun and the destruction of the Lagos court, the witness said, “I do not know that, but I was asked to obtain records as a result.”
“Was it the defendant who told the protesters to destroy the Lagos court?” the lawyer asked.
“It was on record that the defendant issued directives. My task was limited only to obtaining the records due to #EndSARS,” he said.
“But your statement was not limited to taking records, which is why I am asking you,” Ikpeazu said.
When asked if the protest was a Biafran issue, the PW-5 said: “The fact speaks for itself. Before, during and after the #EndSARS protest, the defendant made statements, urging the protesters to carry out insurrection against the Nigerian state.”
The witness also said that his assignment was not to investigate Biafra but to obtain records relating to the #EndSARS protest in which the IPOB leader made statements that led to mayhem at the time.
When asked if he had heard about Aisha Yusufu, the witness responded in the affirmative.
“Is she an IPOB?” the lawyer asked.
“I don’t know,” he responded.
When asked if Yesufu was Igbo, he said: “I do not think she is Igbo.”
When asked if she is from Abia, the PW-5 said: “As I said, I have not investigated her (Yesufu) and do not know who she is.”
When asked if he was aware that the protest resulted from police brutality, he said, “As experts, we know that in every protest, there are organic issues and issues that lace around it, and as experts, we are to identify the organic issues,” though there might be secondary manifestations.
When asked if he knew SARS, the witness, who responded in the affirmative, said, “It is the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.”
When the lawyer restated that Nigerians protested as a result of their brutality, the official responded that “Subversive elements instigated Nigerians to go against the government of the day.
He admitted that though he was aware that there were extra-judicial killings by members of SARS in Lagos, Ibadan and Ifelodun in Oyo, he said he did not have the facts.
According to the witness, subversive elements used those allegations as a pretence.
He said Kanu is from the South East and the leader of the IPOB.
After the cross-examination, Awomolo announced that the prosecution would close its case.
He said that after the PW-5 evidence, the prosecution was satisfied that the government had sufficiently satisfied the need to close its case from the avalanche of evidence tendered, including broadcasts of the IPOB leader’s activities.
“I therefore close the case,” the senior lawyer said.
After the announcement, the lead defence counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, told the court they would opt for a no-case submission.
The judge then gave the defence 14 days to file and serve the prosecution with the application, the trial another 14 days to respond to the no-case submission, and the defence two days to respond on points of law.
He thanked the parties for their cooperation towards ensuring a timely conclusion of the trial and adjourned until July 18 for adoption.
(NAN)
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