High-Profile Government Officials Listed as Defense Witnesses in Nnamdi Kanu Treason Trial
In a significant development in the treason trial of Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, a list of 23 defense witnesses has been submitted, naming several top current and former government officials.
According to reports, lawyers for the detained founder of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) plan to call a roster of prominent figures to the stand. The listed witnesses include:
· Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
· David Umahi, the current Minister of Works.
· A former Defence Minister.
· A former Chief of Army Staff.
· Several state governors.
The trial of Mr. Kanu, who has been in detention since his controversial arrest abroad in 2021, is set to enter a new phase with the defense expected to present its case starting on Friday.
Kanu leads IPOB, a group that advocates for the secession of the Igbo-dominated southeastern region of Nigeria. The group’s objective is to restore the Republic of Biafra, a state that existed briefly and was partially recognized after a declaration of independence in 1967, leading to a devastating three-year civil war that ended in 1970.
The inclusion of such high-ranking political and military figures as potential witnesses is an unexpected turn in the long-running and highly sensitive case. It remains unclear at this stage what testimony the defense intends to elicit from these officials. The move is likely to intensify national scrutiny on a trial that has already drawn significant domestic and international attention.
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