Terrorism charge: Kanu expresses readiness to open defence . ° Lists Gen. Danjuma, Uzodimma, Sanwo-Olu, Wike as witnesses

Detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has expressed readiness to open his defence in the terrorism charges against him as he listed high profile personalities as his potential witnesses.
They include: former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd); Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and his Imo State counterpart, Senator Hope Uzodimma and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
In the motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015 and dated October 20, was filed October 21 was titled: “Notice of Number and Names of Witnesses to be Called by the Defendant and Request for Witness Summons/Subpoena and the Variation of the Time Within Which to Defend the Counts/Charges against the Defendant.”
Kanu said the motion was “pursuant to the order of this honourable court made on the 16th day of October 2015, directing the defendant to commence his defence on the 24th day of October 2025.”
Kanu informed the court of his plan to call a total of 23 witnesses, divided into two categories.
The first category, he said, would be those he called “ordinary but material witnesses.”
He further informed the court that his second category of witnesses would be “vital and compellable” and shall be “summoned under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.”
He prayed the court that, in view of the number of witnesses he intends to call, the court should consider granting a 90-day timeframe to enable him to conclude his defence.
He told the court that he would “testify on his own behalf, providing a sworn account of the facts, denying the allegations, and explaining the political context of his statements and actions.”
Among those he catigorised as “compellable witnesses” are: the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike; a former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd); former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo.
Others are :Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; the immediate-past Governor of Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu; the immediate-past Director General (DG), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; former DG of the State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi, and several witnesses ,whose identities he didn’t reveal.
The IPOB leader promised to “provide the sworn statements of all voluntary witnesses to this honourable court, and to notify the prosecution within a reasonable time.”
He assured that “no precious time of the honourable court would be delayed.”
Besides, Kanu assured that, “it would interest the honourable court and the general public that justice is not only done,but manifestly seen to have been done.”
The latest motion came after the detained IPOB leader had filed a motion of preliminary objection on Thursday, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to continue with his trial.
He had filed the objection the same day a team of medical experts enpanelled by the court to determine his health status, turned in a report that he was medically fit to stand trial.
Meanwhile, Kanu yesterday had a private consultation with his legal team, led by Chief Kanu Agabi.
Kanu, who was brought to court by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), met his lawyers in Justice James Omotosho’s court as earlier ordered.
The private meeting was part of the defence team’s preparation for the commencement of Kanu ‘s defence scheduled for today.
The development was in compliance with Justice Omotosho’s schedule of proceedings issued on September 16.
The judge had also, on October 16, granted the defendant six consecutive days, beginning from October 23, to open and close his defence in view of the accelerated hearing earlier granted in the case.
Agabi, who did not object to the six days granted by the court, however, applied orally for the court to grant Kanu’s legal team an opportunity for a private consultation session with his client, outside the premises of DSS office.
He said the defendant’s legal team was afraid that its consultation with Kanu could be tapped or recorded by the security outfit.
Justice Omotosho then granted the request and also acceded to Agabi’s request that the private meeting with Kanu be held in the courtroom, during which only the defendant and his lawyers would be present.
By the judge’s directive, the private consultation meeting was to be held within the courtroom between 9am and 12 noon on October 22, while the trial would resume on October 23, when Kanu is expected to open his defence.