DSS Accuses Nnamdi Kanu of Ordering Killings, Court Burnings Through Radio Broadcasts
By IDNN Investigative Desk
Published: May 9, 2025
In a dramatic courtroom testimony that sent shockwaves across the country, the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday accused detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, of orchestrating a deadly campaign of violence, including the burning of a Lagos courthouse, beheading of security operatives, and the killing of ex-Presidential aide Ahmed Gulak.
Appearing before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a masked DSS operative codenamed BBB alleged that Kanu’s inflammatory broadcasts on Radio Biafra incited widespread bloodshed and lawlessness across Nigeria’s South-East and beyond.
“He ordered the burning of a Lagos High Court and called for the beheading of police and army officers,” the DSS witness stated under cross-examination, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adegboyega Awomolo.
Direct Orders, Broadcast Incitement and War Calls
According to BBB, Kanu personally founded the Eastern Security Network (ESN) — IPOB’s paramilitary arm — and used it as an enforcer of his orders. The witness said DSS investigations linked Kanu to multiple audio recordings where he called for war, instructed attacks, and enforced sit-at-home orders with threats of death.
The recordings were presented as evidence to the court.
Kanu allegedly ordered the beheading of an army couple, Justice Linus Musa and Gloria Matthew, who were killed in 2022 while traveling in the region. He was also linked to the assassination of retired judges, destruction of government buses, and repeated calls for “violent resistance by any means necessary.”
“Eyewitnesses reported that Ahmed Gulak’s killers invoked Kanu’s name before pulling the trigger,” the DSS claimed.
Defence Hits Back: “He’s a Political Prisoner”
Kanu, who remains in DSS custody, denied all charges, insisting that IPOB is a non-violent separatist movement seeking a UN-backed referendum for Biafra’s independence.
Under cross-examination by his lawyer Paul Erokoro (SAN), Kanu acknowledged giving sit-at-home orders but said the rhetoric in his broadcasts was not literal.
“It’s like when a parent tells a child, ‘I will kill you’ — it’s not a real threat,” Kanu said, sparking murmurs in the courtroom.
He added that the ESN was created not to attack the Nigerian state but to protect Igbo communities from killer herdsmen, citing deadly incidents in Nimbo and Uzo Uwani as justifications.
Kanu also recounted the 2017 military invasion of his residence, which he claims derailed peaceful negotiations he was having with key Igbo leaders like the late Prof. Ben Nwabueze.
“Twenty-eight of my men were killed that day. Whoever ordered that invasion is the real enemy of peace,” he said.
Prosecution Seeks to Admit Video Evidence
The prosecution submitted graphic videos allegedly showing attacks on police stations, decapitations of officers, and destruction of public infrastructure, tying them to Radio Biafra broadcasts. Kanu’s defence, however, strongly opposed the admissibility of the videos, arguing they lacked clear provenance.
The court adjourned to allow further legal review of the multimedia exhibits.
Context: The Battle for the South-East’s Soul
The hearing comes amid intensified violence in the South-East, where attacks on police stations, kidnappings, and arson have surged since 2021. The Nigerian government blames IPOB for the unrest — an allegation the group continues to deny.
IPOB was designated a terrorist organization by the federal government in 2017, but the group insists its struggle is legitimate under international law.
As the legal battle intensifies, analysts warn that the outcome of Kanu’s trial could have far-reaching implications for peace, stability, and constitutional dialogue in Nigeria.