The Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Nnamdi Kanu’s 2015 statements and video interviews are inadmissible, citing absence of legal counsel.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday rejected key evidence tendered by the Federal Government in the terrorism trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Justice James Omotosho ruled that Kanu’s 2015 statements and video recordings were inadmissible, citing the absence of his lawyer during interrogation, in violation of his constitutional rights.
“The statements are inadmissible in light of this omission by the prosecution,” the judge ruled, adding that “the objection of the defendant’s counsel is upheld.”
The trial-within-trial was ordered after Kanu alleged his statements were made under duress, without legal representation, and under threats from SSS operatives. He also claimed the recordings played in court were edited.
The court expunged both the statements and video evidence, previously marked as Exhibits PWQ and PWR.
The ruling is seen as a significant setback for the prosecution in the ongoing case, with the judge affirming the Supreme Court’s stance on the mandatory presence of counsel during confessions.