LIVE: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Trial At Federal High Court Abuja 28th May 2025 [Refresh For Updates]

LIVE: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Trial At Federal High Court Abuja 28th May 2025 [Refresh For Updates] | #AbnTv

 

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Court adjourned till tomorrow 29th of May at 12noon

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MNK’s cross examination ends

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Prosecutor:
Was your detention approved by a court
MNK: no court approved my detention
Prosecutor: when you gave the DSS your name and contacts of your lawyer, did they come?

MNK: they never asked for the names and contacts of my lawyers

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Cross examination of MNK begins

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MNK also mentioned that he was repeatedly denied lawyers even when he asked repeatedly and at no point was a lawyer brought to him until he was transferred to kuje in 2015

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Paul; if I have a letter to deliver to you, where would it be?

MNK; DSS dungeon
Paul; how long have you been in the DSS

MNK: 6yrs

Paul: you mentioned to the court you were under duress when you wrote the statement.

MNK; yes. MNK goes ahead to describe how he was tortured and brought to Abuja from Lagos blind folded. And also mentioned how Mr Brown threatened him unless he writes a statement as they wanted, that he Mr brown had the power to make sure he was jailed….
Also talked about how he was blindfolded and chained to be put in flight by the DSS as they wanted to bring him to Abuja in 2015.
Talked about how he was put in an underground because they didn’t want him to be around someone. Says the lighting of the underground was dim.

He talked about his nosebleed, how the blood was leaving a trail as he walked, then the DSS noticed it and brought a doctor to him who mentioned that they should give MNK one hour airtime so he doesn’t die.
Mentioned also that the videos played were heavily edited, removing the parts where the DSs officers who interviewed him weee threatening him….

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MNK called in as a witness

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Cross examination of trial within trial has ended.
The judge has given the defense team and the defendant some time to have a tete a tete

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Paul Erokoro:
I observed through out the videos played, none of the interviewers showed their faces, why?

Witness: we are protected by the law

Paul: did you introduce yourselves to the defendant before the interview? Did you tell him your real name?

Witness: yes I mentioned my name

Paul: do you know the names of everyone working in your org?

Witness: No

Paul: did you ever enter the cell or where the defendant was confined?
I didn’t really get what the witness said

Paul: do you have underground cells in your org

Witness; I’m not aware of that

Paul: are you aware that so many people detained in your custody have announced that they were kept in underground cell

Witness: I’m just heating it

Paul: did you hear when sowore said he was detained in an underground cell?

Witness: anybody can say anything to whip up public sympathy

Paul: are you aware the defendant was held in an underground cell?

Witness: I’m not aware, it cannot be true.

Paul: did you notice you people were forcing the defendabt on what to write

Witness: nobody was forrcing hin, we were just trying to guide him

Paul: did you observe he wore same shirt everyday for the interview?

Interview: yes

Paul: did you notice how excited he was when he asked for water?

Witness: I didn’t notice

Paul: did you know someone called Mr Brown threatened him?

Witness: I don’t know about that.

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Cross examination of trial within trial begins

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The next video, probably the last for the trial in trial is being played now
Still MNK being interviews by the DSS

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The 3rd video of MNK’s 2015 interview by the DSS is playing now

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The judge:

“I heard him mentioning repeatedly that his lawyer wasn’t there, that he needed to speak with his lawyer. So I will look into that alongside the involuntariness.”

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The judge has asked the video be forwarded to save time so the 3rd video can be played

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Video playing now…
Interviewer: How are you?
MNK: I’m not fine
Interviewer: What’s IPOB
MNK answers
Interviewer: what’s the duty of IPOB?
MNK starts answering….
Mentioning the Biafran territory, the states involved and mentioned that no state is under compulsion to join IPOB

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The first video has ended
The next video about to be played

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Video still playing….

“Even if you point a gun at me, I will still say the truth. I was the first person to organize a rally against bokoharam in London in 2007 (I didn’t really get the date)
You have denied me access to my lawyer, you are no more a law enforcement agents, you are a law breaker”

MNK says

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Video still playing…..

MNK says to the DSS officers interviewing him “you people are the custodians of the law yet you are the ones breaking the law. This is the third time I am making statements without my lawyer. The law says I am entitled to a lawyer but you have consistently denied me one, record me and let the whole world hear it that I am making yet another statement without my lawyer “

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The video interview of MNK of 2015 by the DSS is still playing.

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The prosecution wants to play a video recording of the defendant during interview, as proof he wasn’t under any form of duress.

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A witness has been brought in for trial within trial.
The witness speaks….:

I know the defendant he’s the founder of the terrorist organization and the founder of a radio that’s not registered in Nigeria.
I was asked to interview him in 2015 concerning his activities as IPOB leader and radio Biafra founder
I told him his interview was going to be recorded on video and the defendant agreed.

The prosecution asks him if he knows anyone called mr Brown, the witness says he’s not sure.
The witness goes ahead to mention to mention James Ibrahim and Collins as the people he interviewed the defendant with, that there was no Mr Brown.

Prosecution; Did the defendant at any time make any request to you before his statement was taken?

Witness ; He didn’t make any request the said he wanted to rest.

Prosecution: Did he make any request for his lawyer, I’m not aware but he didn’t ask me for his lawyer.

Prosecution: He said he was put in solitary confinement

Witness: I’m not aware of that if you watch the video you will see a table water was even placed before him not sachet water so I’m surprised he is saying this

Prosecution : Did he tell you about his ill health?

Witness; I’m not a medical doctor so I don’t know if he was sick but he didn’t mention he was sick to me.

Prosecution : He said you put words in his mouth

Witness; It’s not true, he said everything voluntarily and happily.

Prosecution ; He said you told him some things to write about president jonathan

Witness: It’s not true my lord.

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The judge has ruled that there would be trial within trial to look into the allegations MNK made concerning him being forced into writing his statement.
The judge says trial within trial starts now…
He the judge wants to determine whether the defendant made his statement under duress or not.

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The prosecution says the defendant was lying, those things he wrote was a fiction of his imagination that he didn’t give any statement under duress, that the defendant was happy and willing to write down his witness.

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Paul Erokoro SAN reads Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s involuntariness

He asked for his lawyer and the DSS refused. It wasn’t the gentleman in the hideout that interviewed him, it was one mr Brown.
He was in dungeon and was allowed one hour of air time but Mr Brown threatened that if he MNK didn’t write down what they wanted, the one hour airtime was to be taken away from him.
MNK also wrote the DSS forced him to write down some words against his will. MNK also noted he was bleeding from his nose at that time.

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The judge has asked the defendant (Mazi Nnamdi Kanu) to give element of his involuntariness to the written statement, asked that the defendant be given a sheet of paper to write them down.

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The defendant says he made the statement under duress and Kanu Agabi has brought it to the knowledge of the judge.

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The video interview and the written statement of the defendant have been admitted as exhibit

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The prosecution wants to present the video interview and written statement of the defendant to the witness for identification
The witness has confirmed both.

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He agreed to be recorded and also wrote down a statement himself.
The witness ccc continues
The interview was conducted on Oct 21st and written interview was on 23rd of Oct 2015.

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The witness speaks…

I work with the sss
I’ve worked for 7 Years
I know the defendant
He’s the leader and founder of IPOB a terrorist organization
He founded radio Biafra he used to invite violence to the public
My first encounter with him was in 2015 when I was asked to interrogate him after his arrest.
I invited him with three other officers for interview, I told him his interview was going to be recorded and he agreed.

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Witness number 3 shall be known and addressed as Mr ccc
He’s taking his oath now
Says he’s a Christian

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Prosecution asked to bring witness number 3

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Defense team led by Kanu Agabi introduces his team of lawyers.

Paul Erokoro
Emeka Etiaba
Mela Audu
Uchenna Njoku
Aloy Ejimakor
PAN Ejiofor
PK Obi
Maxwell Opara
Chika Odoemena
Mandela Umegborogu
Mary Francis Orji
Emmanuel Agabi

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Prosecution counsel (Awomolo) introduces his team of lawyers

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Court commences
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu versus the Federal Government of Nigeria

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IPOB Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Arrives At Federal High Court Abuja