A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted into evidence a report by the Department of State Services (DSS) that allegedly links the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to the deaths of 186 police officers and the destruction of 164 police stations during the #EndSARS protests.
Justice James Omotoso admitted the report on Thursday during the resumed hearing in Kanu’s terrorism trial. The report was presented by the prosecuting counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), through the fifth prosecution witness (PW5), identified only as Mr EEE for security reasons. EEE, a DSS operative, testified that he was part of a team deployed to various regions during the protest to assess damage and compile intelligence reports.
Although the witness acknowledged that he had never met Kanu in person and only knew him through media, he claimed that the IPOB leader’s public statements incited violence and destruction of public property. According to the report, in addition to the 186 police officers, 37 military personnel and 10 DSS operatives were also killed, while 164 police stations and nine INEC offices were destroyed across 17 states, including Lagos, Abia, Anambra, Delta, and Rivers.
The court admitted several documents tendered through the witness, including damage assessment reports, death certificates, and a certificate of compliance. While the defence objected to their admissibility, arguments on the objections were deferred to a later date.
During cross-examination, defence counsel Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) questioned the credibility and origin of the DSS report. He challenged the basis for linking Kanu’s statements to the violence, arguing that the protests had organic roots tied to police brutality. He asked whether other key figures in the protest, such as activist Aisha Yesufu, had been investigated, to which the witness responded that his mandate was limited to assessing damage linked to statements by Kanu.
The witness admitted that the report contained no specific reference to IPOB members being responsible for the deaths, nor did it include signed photographs, identifiable names of deceased officers, or signatures by the medical examiners. He further confirmed that although he certified the report as secretary, he did not personally sign it, and could not identify any page in the report explicitly tying the incidents to IPOB.
Counsel for the defence, Kanu Agabi (SAN), entered a no-case submission, asserting that the prosecution had failed to directly link the accused to the allegations. Justice Omotoso gave both parties 14 days to file written addresses on the no-case submission, with an additional two days to reply on points of law. The matter was adjourned to July 18, 2025, for the adoption of final submissions.
