Court Grants Federal Government Request to Conceal Witnesses in Nnamdi Kanu Trial
A Federal High Court in Abuja has approved a request by the Federal Government to shield the identities of witnesses testifying in the ongoing trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the embattled leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021, faces charges of terrorism and treasonable felony. His highly sensitive trial resumed on Tuesday with the court granting protective measures for prosecution witnesses.
The decision followed an ex parte motion filed on April 10 by Adegboyega Awomolo, the lead counsel for the prosecution. Awomolo urged the court to permit the use of protective screens and facial masks for witnesses, citing concerns over their safety and national security.
“The essence is for the safety and security of officers of the state who would be part of the witnesses,” Awomolo told the court.
Interestingly, the defence, led by senior lawyer Kanu Agabi, did not oppose the motion, clearing the path for the judge, Justice James Omotosho, to grant the request without resistance.
With the preliminary matters settled, the trial has now formally begun. The prosecution’s first witness, an operative of the DSS, has already taken the stand under the newly approved protective measures.
