Nnamdi Kanu’s Witnesses: Fresh Details Emerge On Wike, Umahi, Buratai
Fresh details have emerged on the nature of testimonies expected from prominent witnesses listed by the detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, as part of his defence in the terrorism charges filed against him.
The list of witnesses, filed on October 21, categorises them into two groups: Category A, made up of “ordinary but material defence witnesses (voluntary)”, and Category B, consisting of “vital and compellable witnesses” to be summoned under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.
Kanu’s defence, which is expected to open today at the Federal High Court in Abuja, follows Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanu protest, which disrupted work and business activities in Abuja and other parts of the country.
In the document personally signed by Kanu, the Category B list includes former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Yusuf Bichi; former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd); and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd).
Others on the list are Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma; former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; and Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi.
According to the court filings, Malami is expected to testify on directives and authorisations linked to “the defendant’s extraordinary rendition, operations, custody conditions, and compliance with legal procedures.”
Buratai, on his part, will testify on “the 2017 invasion of the defendant’s residence and the chain of command authorising the military operation.”
Similarly, Umahi is expected to speak on the proscription of IPOB “without a judicial order and its consequences,” while Ikpeazu will testify about his knowledge and administrative role during the 2017 military invasion of Kanu’s house in Abia State.
The document further explains that Uzodinma will testify on the killing of former PDP chieftain, Ahmed Gulak, and the findings and public statement exonerating IPOB, while Wike will testify on the “Obigbo massacre” that followed the EndSARS protests and the role of security forces under his authority.
Sanwo-Olu is expected to testify on the EndSARS judicial panel, particularly the Lekki Toll Gate incident, to establish what Kanu’s defence describes as “a pattern of repression.”
In addition, retired Gen. T.Y. Danjuma is to testify on his 2018 public warning urging Nigerians to defend themselves against “infiltrated armed forces,” which the defence says helps contextualise Kanu’s advocacy for self-defence.
Other witnesses include two Americans — Bruce Fein and Barry Sutton — who are to testify on the illegality of extraordinary rendition and the alleged digital tampering of electronic evidence, respectively. A civil society director and an unnamed witness are also listed to testify on alleged extrajudicial killings of IPOB members.
