Daily Mentor News

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) coerced him into making confessional statements after his arrest in 2015.

Kanu made this revelation on Wednesday during a trial-within-a-trial, which was ordered by Justice James Omotosho to determine whether statements attributed to Kanu were made voluntarily or under duress. The trial-within-a-trial followed the prosecution’s presentation of video recordings and written statements allegedly made by Kanu during DSS interviews in October and November 2015.

Kanu’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro (SAN), objected to the admission of these statements as evidence, arguing that Kanu was threatened and denied access to his legal counsel during the interrogation. Erokoro told the court that DSS operatives warned Kanu he would be denied bail and his daily hour of fresh air recommended for health reasons if he did not cooperate.

Testifying in court, Kanu recounted that after his arrest, he was chained, blindfolded, and flown from Lagos to Abuja without knowing his destination. He described being kept in solitary confinement with no light and said a DSS officer named Mr. Brown, the assistant director of investigations, threatened to withhold his hour of fresh air if he refused to comply with their demands. Kanu also alleged that the poor conditions in his cell led to nosebleeds, and that parts of the video interviews played in court had been edited.

A DSS witness, identified as CCC, denied the allegations, insisting that Kanu’s statements were made voluntarily and that the DSS does not operate in the manner described by Kanu.

After hearing both sides, Justice Omotosho closed the trial-within-a-trial and directed the prosecution and defence teams to submit their written addresses by 9 a.m. on May 29, 2025.