IPOB Rejects Alleged Link Between Nnamdi Kanu and EndSARS Protest, Calls It Baseless and Desperate
 |
| Nnamdi Kanu |
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has firmly rejected what it described as a “baseless and desperate” attempt by the Nigerian government to associate its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, with the 2020 EndSARS protests.
In a press release issued Thursday by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group condemned the prosecution's claim during Kanu’s ongoing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, calling it “intellectually bankrupt” and “morally obscene.”
During the June 19 court session, the prosecution—led by Chief Awomolo (SAN)—closed its case after cross-examination, prompting Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), to signal a no-case submission. The defence maintained that the government had failed to establish any credible link between Kanu and terrorism or any criminal activity.
“The government’s last-ditch effort to salvage a collapsing case was the absurd claim that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu instigated the EndSARS protest—an organic, youth-led movement that began in Delta State and quickly spread across Nigeria,” the IPOB statement read.
IPOB also alleged that the government’s key witness, identified as PW5-EEE, an intelligence officer, struggled under cross-examination, giving evasive and contradictory responses. According to the group, Justice James Omotosho had to intervene multiple times to compel the witness to answer direct questions.
Furthermore, IPOB accused the prosecution of relying on “fabricated documents,” including an intelligence report dated June 2025—an apparent effort to retroactively link Kanu to events that occurred five years earlier. The group said no credible evidence was presented to substantiate allegations that security personnel were killed in the South East, citing the absence of names, ranks, death certificates, or eyewitness accounts.
“It is alarming that, despite these revelations in open court, much of the Nigerian media continues to highlight government claims while ignoring the glaring weaknesses in the prosecution’s case,” IPOB said.
The group urged the public, civil society groups, and international observers to request Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the court proceedings for independent verification of the trial's progress.
Reiterating its long-held position, IPOB described Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a peaceful advocate for self-determination and insisted that his prosecution is politically motivated.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not on trial for violence,” the statement concluded. “He is on trial for speaking truth to power. The government’s case is not just weak—it is a textbook example of state-sponsored falsehood.”
The matter was adjourned until July 18, 2025, for the adoption of final written addresses.
Leave Comments
Post a Comment