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U.S. Officials Observe Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial In Abuja As Prosecution Witness Falters —IPOB

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IPOB said the presence of the U.S. observers “underscores the growing international concern over the manifestly unjust and politically motivated trial being orchestrated against our leader.”

Two officials from the United States government were present at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, June 18, 2025, to observe the ongoing trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, according to the organisation.

IPOB said the presence of the U.S. observers “underscores the growing international concern over the manifestly unjust and politically motivated trial being orchestrated against our leader.”

In a press statement issued after the hearing, and signed by Comrade Emma Powerful, Media and Publicity Secretary for IPOB, the organisation described the day’s court proceedings as a “shambolic” display by the prosecution, claiming that its principal witness, codenamed PW-DDD, crumbled under “devastating” cross-examination by the defence.

According to IPOB, the government’s witness, described as a self-identified law enforcement operative, gave testimony that “rested heavily on hearsay, uncorroborated newspaper clippings, and allegations lacking any investigative or evidentiary backbone.”

The group noted that PW-DDD relied on a July 3, 2021, Vanguard newspaper article to claim that Kanu had ordered someone to “kill 2,000 people.” He reportedly also alleged Kanu authorised the attack on the Owerri Correctional Facility but admitted under cross-examination that he was neither present at the incident nor involved in any formal investigation of it.

The presiding judge reportedly rejected documents the prosecution attempted to tender, ruling that they were obtained without legal counsel being present with the defendant—”in violation of fair trial standards,” IPOB said.

Among the exhibits submitted by the prosecution was a report from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), which IPOB noted “simply stated that broadcasting transmitters require regulatory approval and that the equipment was ‘intended for broadcasting.’”

IPOB argued that such a statement is “neither novel nor incriminating in any serious legal sense.”

Highlighting the defence’s efforts, IPOB said its lead counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, “utterly dismantled” the prosecution’s case during cross-examination.

PW-DDD allegedly admitted that “no official report of his so-called investigation was filed in court” and said it was “in a drawer in his office” instead. He also reportedly confirmed he had no personal knowledge of key individuals or events connected to the case.

“He never interviewed Uzomma Benjamin a.k.a. Onyearmy. He never interviewed the Vanguard journalist who allegedly took Onyearmy’s statement. He was not present at the Owerri Police Station or Correctional Centre during the alleged attacks,” the IPOB statement stated.

The witness also reportedly admitted to not interviewing anyone linked to the killing of a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak, and to receiving no witness information related to it.

When questioned about his reliance on newspaper reports, IPOB claimed he “shockingly affirmed that he believes everything he reads in newspapers,” but contradicted himself by dismissing a similar allegation involving Sunday Igboho published in the same outlet.

Under pressure from the defence, PW-DDD was allegedly made to read aloud a portion of the Vanguard article which labelled Onyearmy’s claims as “mere allegations without proof.”

According to IPOB, the witness gave “evasive and incoherent” answers throughout the session, prompting both the judge and the prosecution’s lead counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, to intervene.

The judge reportedly told the witness: “Answer the question put to you honestly without needless explanation and stop wasting my time.”

The witness replied that he would “chastise himself without the need for the court to admonish him.”

Summing up the court events, IPOB stated: “Today’s proceedings laid bare the comedy of errors that has become the Federal Government’s case against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

IPOB concluded the statement by renewing its call for the “immediate and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” insisting that “this entire process is a political persecution anchored in illegality, impunity, and vengeance—not law.”

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the traditional ruler of Opi Ancient Kingdom in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, Eze-Igwe Williams Ezugwu, had declared that President Bola Tinubu missed a historic opportunity to begin national healing by failing to release Kanu on Democracy Day, June 12, 2025.

The monarch, who is also the Secretary General of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), said Tinubu’s failure to act was “a missed opportunity to demonstrate statesmanship and empathy.”

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Constituency projects fund should go to security – Ex-Defense spokesman, Enenche

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A former Defense spokesman, Maj-Gen John Enenche (rtd) has said that the money given to lawmakers for constituency projects should go to security instead.

General Enenche made this statement in an interview on ‘Sunday Politics’, a program on Channels Television monitored by Ekwutosblog

He was reacting to the wave of insecurity bedeviling the country where people are being kidnapped, including women and schoolchildren.

 

“I want to suggest that money given to lawmakers for constituency projects should go to security instead. If you don’t save the constituency, what project will you do there?

“Let’s adopt indigenous homeland security and recruit our youths even someone living with HIV or hepatitis can join the force.

“What I would suggest is that you don’t need special recruitment. You don’t need special screening. Somebody carrying HIV can be part of that force. Somebody carry hepatitis can be part of that force, but they will not even go into the Army. No, they want to live where God has put them,” he said.

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VIDEO: IT’S ALL FALSE , THERE IS NO SUSPECT IN ANTI-KIDNAPPING UNIT [TIGER BASE] OWERRI THAT HAS STAYED IN CUSTODY FOR MORE THAN 48- HOURS WITHOUT COURT ORDER. — IMO POLICE PPRO RESPONDS TO DETENTION ACCUSATIONS DURING FACILITY INSPECTION BY PRESS MEN.

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By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke

7- DEC- 2025

 

The Imo State Police Command on Friday, December 5, 2025, opened the doors of its Anti-Kidnapping Unit—widely known as Tiger Base—to an independent inspection team made up of journalists, civil society groups, and human rights advocates, following viral allegations of organ trafficking, torture, unlawful detentions, and the existence of a “slaughterhouse” within the facility.

Acting on the directives of the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, and the Commander of the Unit, ACP Odeyeyiwa Oladimeji, led the fact-finding delegation through all sections of the premises in Owerri. The visit was designed to ensure transparency and address public concerns generated by several sensational online reports.

Throughout the tour, the delegation inspected operational areas, observed procedures, and engaged directly with officers. In one corner of the compound, the team sighted carved wooden images previously misrepresented on social media as ritual objects or a shrine. Police authorities explained that these carvings—made of wood, iron, and cement—were exhibits recovered from hideouts linked to suspected IPOB/ESN operatives and kidnapping gangs across Imo State. According to ACP Oladimeji, the criminals believed the objects held mystical powers, and the police retained them as evidence for ongoing investigations.

The visitors also interacted with several detainees, including individuals suspected of involvement in kidnapping and other violent crimes. Many of them openly admitted to the offences for which they were arrested and confirmed that they were being fed properly while awaiting their scheduled court processes.

Another item inspected was an ash-coloured Highlander Jeep with plate number LSD 413 JJ. The vehicle, stained with blood, belonged to a woman recently shot dead by masked gunmen at Umuekerekpu Ndegwu in Owerri West LGA. A surviving occupant of the vehicle narrated to reporters how their employer was fatally shot in the head, while both he and another passenger sustained gunshot injuries and were currently receiving medical treatment in Owerri.

At the end of the assessment, members of the visiting delegation unanimously stated that none of the frightening claims circulating online—ranging from organ harvesting to the existence of an abattoir—were visible or supported by what they witnessed.

DSP Okoye emphasized that Tiger Base is a legitimate tactical formation of the Nigeria Police Force tasked with confronting kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, terror-related activities, and other serious crimes. He disclosed that the facility is fitted with CCTV cameras linked directly to the office of the Commissioner of Police, enabling round-the-clock monitoring for accountability.

He reiterated that the allegations trending on social media were malicious distortions aimed at misleading the public. The human skulls displayed earlier in 2025, he clarified, were exhibits recovered from criminal hideouts—not evidence of ritual practices, as some had falsely claimed.

ACP Oladimeji further noted that the unit handles only high-profile criminal cases and operates newly commissioned charge rooms and tactical units dedicated to strengthening security across Imo State. The team also observed dozens of seized motorcycles, which the police said were confiscated in compliance with the Imo State Government’s ban on motorcycle operations within the Owerri metropolis under the Shared Prosperity Administration.

The inspection team applauded the Police Command for permitting unrestricted access to Tiger Base and underscored the importance of ongoing cooperation between security institutions, the media, and civic groups to maintain public trust and enhance safety across the state.

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TENSION IN ABIA COMMUNITY AS POLICE PROBE MURDER OF MISSING 25-YEAR OLD YOUTH WHO’S BODY WAS FOUND HEADLESS, SIX ARRESTED.

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By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke
7- DEC- 2025

A cloud of sorrow and outrage has settled over Amangwo Umuigu in Oboro, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, after the decomposing, headless remains of 25-year-old Solomon Ikoku were discovered weeks after his disappearance. Ikoku, who went missing on September 27, 2025, was reportedly abducted during the community’s New Yam Festival in a violent early-morning raid.

Residents recounted that armed men—believed to be members of a controversial vigilante outfit—stormed the family home at about 5 a.m., assaulting the young man before dragging him away. After weeks of unanswered questions and failed searches, community youths launched a coordinated hunt on October 27, which led to the tragic discovery of Solomon’s remains in a shallow waterway on the outskirts of the village. His leg and other body parts were later found scattered in nearby bushes, deepening the community’s grief.

Members of the search team described the scene as horrifying. One volunteer, who spoke anonymously, said the discovery of Ikoku’s bones and the clothes he wore on the morning of his disappearance left them heartbroken.

The incident has triggered widespread anger, with many residents pointing accusations at the village’s disbanded vigilante group, allegedly loyal to the community’s traditional ruler, Eze Larry Agwu. Critics claim the group operated with impunity and may have been responsible for the abduction and brutal killing.

However, Eze Agwu has firmly rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated falsehoods linked to an ongoing kingship dispute within the community. According to him, the vigilante group acted independently and had been inaugurated years earlier by village authorities and security agencies. He insisted he neither ordered nor endorsed any attack on the late Ikoku.

The monarch further explained that he was informed by the group that the victim’s sister had allegedly sought their help after the young man threatened their mother—an account strongly disputed by Ikoku’s family. The deceased’s brother, Victor, accused the vigilantes of premeditated violence, alleging that his brother’s body was burnt and mutilated, and insisting that no family member invited the group on the night of the incident.

Adding to the controversy, the community chairman, Munachi Onwuchekwa, accused the king of enabling the vigilante group even after the wider community had dissolved it four years earlier due to misconduct. He stated that the group continued to operate under the monarch’s patronage, despite repeated complaints.

As tensions rise, the Abia State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of six suspects linked to the vigilante group, while others remain at large. Among those implicated are Alozie Eluwa, Stanley Okutuo, Godwin Kanu, Maduabuchi Enyinnaya, Godwin Sampson, Emeka Nwagboso, Ikechi Hope, and several others still being sought by authorities.

Police spokesperson Maureen Chinaka called for calm and urged residents to allow the investigative process to proceed without interference. She emphasized that a meticulous probe was necessary given the gravity of the crime, assuring the community that justice would be pursued diligently.

The investigation continues as the community grapples with shock, fear, and calls for accountability following the gruesome killing.

 

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