The Eastern Security Network (ESN), established by Kanu, is an illegal organization, in contrast to Amotekun, which is supported by the law, according to the second prosecution witness in Nnamdi Kanu’s ongoing trial.
The witness made the claim while being reexamined by the prosecution attorney, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who asked him to compare Amotekun and ESN’s activities under the codename “BBB.”
The ESN has no legal standing, despite the witness’ claim that Amotekun was established through laws passed by the six South-West states.
He further testified that the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) had once advocated for community-based policing initiatives to combat insecurity, provided guidance and approval from reputable security organizations.
The court accepted the fact that three video recordings from a flash drive were presented to defense counsel Paul Erokoro (SAN) earlier during the hearing.
After that, the three videos were played in an open court.
The DSS’s General Manager was spotted speaking at a public event in one of the recordings urging local communities to build a first line of defense against bandits and other external threats.
[Alleged Terrorism:] DSS denies involvement in Nnamdi Kanu’s Kenya arrest.He was said to have said, “To mobilize people is to get everyone involved. That’s what we do.” Security forces cannot be deployed in every region of the nation.
The key thing we need to do is to establish communities as the first line of defense. Under the direction and consent of security agencies, we must allow the communities to rise and defend themselves first. It needs to start right away.
The witness clarified that the DSS DG had specifically stated that such efforts must be conducted under the supervision of security agencies when asked by Erokoro whether the DSS DG was not effectively calling for communities to arm themselves.
General Theophilus Danjuma, the former defense minister, was spotted speaking in a court video.
Danjuma claimed in the video that some armed forces officers were not impartial in the ongoing killings in the nation.
Erokoro asked the witness to explain what Danjuma’s remarks meant when he was identified as the speaker.
The witness objected, saying Danjuma should be the subject of the inquiry.
Hope Uzodinma, the governor of Imo State, lamented the state’s ongoing killings and attributed them to the actions of unnamed politicians in the third video.
Erokoro questioned whether Uzodinma’s statement was in conflict with the witness’ earlier claim that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were responsible for the killings in Orlu, Imo State.
The witness argued that the DSS’s position was based on the findings of its investigation.
We named the people who were killed by alleged IPOB members in our investigation. The witness claimed that the governor did not name the victims who he claimed were killed.
He confirmed that Kanu remained a member both before and after the group’s proscription, and that IPOB had been ordered by a judge.
The witness claimed that the protests were a response to calls for the police’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to be disbanded when questioned about his knowledge of the EndSARS protests.
He added that he was aware of the establishment of commissions of inquiry into the protests and related incidents in several states, including Lagos and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
He and Erokoro both agreed that IPOB was not listed as a participant in the Lagos State panel’s report and that it did not classify the protests as terrorist acts.
The Lagos State Commission’s report was later submitted, which was accepted as evidence by Erokoro.
Justice Omotosho ordered the prosecution to finish its case within six days and gave the defense nine days to make its argument before adjourning the proceedings for the day.
Source: Channels TV
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