The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has said the Nigerian government tendered a statement allegedly made by a “dead man” in the ongoing terrorism trial of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

IPOB made the assertion in a statement released by its spokesman, Emma Powerful.

During the proceedings of June 13, 2025, an agent of the Department of State Services (DSS), while testifying for the prosecution, tendered a newspaper publication which contained a statement said to have been made by an IPOB member, Emeyiri Uzoma Benjamin, aka Onye Army. Onye Army allegedly said the group was able to get 30 heads for the burial of a commander of the Eastern Security Network (ESN),


Nwokike Anyinayo Andy, popularly known as Ikonso, who was killed by security forces in April 2021 in Awomama, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.

The prosecution witness alleged that Kanu, in a broadcast, said 2000 heads would be used to bury the ESN commander.

However, in the statement titled ‘The Nigerian Government has finally reduced itself to tendering dead men’s statements in its failed case against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’, IPOB said Onye Army is late, adding that he did not make any statement in court.

IPOB alleged that the said Onye Army was killed in DSS custody.

Faulting the use of the statement as evidence, IPOB stressed that Onye Army cannot be available for cross examination to authenticate the claims.

The statement said, “The so-called trial of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, which has long degenerated into a circus, reached its lowest point yet in Abuja yesterday. In a desperate attempt to sustain their collapsed case, the Nigerian government, through Awomolo SAN, shamelessly presented as evidence a newspaper publication which purportedly quoted a man named Onye Army. According to Vanguard newspaper, Onye Army allegedly confessed that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu ordered him to kill 2,000 people, but he managed to kill only 30.

“Let it be made clear to the Nigerian public and the international community:
Onye Army never appeared in court. He never testified. His so-called statement was never given in court or even directly to the DSS investigators handling the case. Instead, it was PW-DDD — a DSS operative — who merely read out what Vanguard newspaper claimed that Onye Army said. Incredibly, PW-DDD admitted under oath that he never interviewed Onye Army and had no first-hand knowledge of any such confession.

“The most grotesque part of this charade is that Onye Army is dead — killed while in DSS custody. He is not available for cross-examination, verification, or confirmation of any statement attributed to him. This is not law. This is not justice. This is outright fraud upon the court.”

Further faulting the evidence, the statement added, “The Nigerian government has now fully descended into graveyard evidence—fabricating confessions of people they have killed—and tendering them through newspaper clippings. This scandalous conduct violates every known principle of Nigerian law, including:

“Section 29 of the Evidence Act: Prohibiting involuntary and unverified confessions.
Section 83(1) of the Evidence Act: Rendering third-party hearsay newspaper reports inadmissible.
Section 36(6) of the Constitution: Guaranteeing the accused the right to confront his accusers.
Section 36(8) of the Constitution: Prohibiting further prosecution where punishment has already been served or exceeded.”

The statement further insisted that Kanu’s trial is illegal, giving a number of reasons to justify the argument.

“Beyond the brazen evidentiary fraud, he trial itself remains fundamentally illegal for several reasons:

“No jurisdiction in Abuja: The Court of Appeal (CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022) has already ruled that the alleged offence, if any, occurred in Ubulisiuzor, Anambra State, and can only be tried by the Federal High Court in Awka — not Abuja. The continued proceedings in Abuja are in open contempt of that binding judgment.

“Violation of Customs Law (CEMA):
Under Section 178 of CEMA, jurisdiction lies only where the offence occurred or where the accused resides. Abuja meets neither condition. This Abuja trial is forum shopping and gross abuse of court process.

“Statute-barred offence: The alleged offence of importation of transmitter under CEMA carries a maximum limitation period of five years. More than five years have elapsed, rendering this prosecution legally dead on arrival.

“Excessive detention: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been illegally detained for nearly four years since his unlawful rendition from Kenya. This far exceeds the maximum penalty for the alleged customs offence, violating his constitutional rights under Section 36(8) and binding case law in Uzoukwu v. Ezeonu II (1991) 6 NWLR (Pt. 200) 708.

“Staged inspection exercise: The recent so-called inspection of a radio transmitter by Justice Omotosho inside DSS headquarters has no legal foundation. The Court of Appeal had already ruled that such matters belong in Awka, not Abuja. This exercise was nothing but media choreography to please bloodthirsty political hawks.”

IPOB added, “The entire proceeding is nothing but a well-rehearsed media circus designed to produce headlines, not justice. The Nigerian judiciary is being dragged into disrepute before the entire world. Every illegal act by this government in this matter only deepens Nigeria’s global disgrace.

“We remind the Nigerian government that injustice breeds chaos. No amount of manufactured evidence, fraudulent confessions, or forum shopping will destroy the truth. The whole world is watching this charade. The only honorable path left is for this sham trial to be terminated immediately.”

Declaring that “History will vindicate Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”, the statement stressed that “IPOB remains unshaken” and “Justice will prevail”.

Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB leader, is facing trial on terrorism-related charges before Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja Federal High Court. Justice Binta Nyako initially presided over the trial but the case was transferred to Justice Omotosho after she recused herself, following Kanu’s declaration that he has lost confidence in her judgement.

Kanu was first arrested in 2017 for agitating for an independent Biafra nation and later released on bail. He subsequently escaped to Europe after Nigerian soldiers invaded his residence in Afaraukwu, Abia State, during the Operation Python Dance.

In June 2021, Kanu was rearrested in Kenya and subjected to extraordinary rendition back to Nigeria. He has been detained in the DSS facility since then.

Veteran actor-cum politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has claimed that the Julius Abure-led executive officer the Labour Party deceived the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.


Okonkwo alleged that Abure and his executives lied to Obi that they were recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, making the Ex-Anambra governor to go back to working with them.

He lamented that despite informing Obi that the Abure’s executive is an agent working for President Bola Tinubu’s government, he (Obi) still endorsed them publicly.


The former LP Presidential Campaign Council spokesman disclosed this in an interview with Symfoni TV released on Saturday.

He said: “The Julius Abure-led LP members lied to Obi that the Independent National Electoral Commission had accepted them and Obi surreptitiously went back to them but I told him: ‘Sir, you have made a public statement on integrity and even if INEC has accepted them, that is not a criterion for you to go back and start dealing with them because they have shown that they are not democratic.

“If you go back to them, they will destroy your political career and everything you have said about integrity will die.’


“I told Obi that these people had become agents in the hands of the government to destabilise him.

“And after saying all those things, within like 72 hours, Obi went back to Abure’s office to publicly endorse them and while he was there talking to them, one of the leaders in that executive sent me the video to mock me that the person I was fighting for against them has come to their office to endorse them.”

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has announced that it will officially launch its campaign on Tuesday, June 17, ahead of the July 12 local government elections.


The event is scheduled to take place at the party’s State Secretariat in Ogba.

The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, Mogaji Oluseye Oladejo, and made available to the press.


According to the statement, the campaign launch will feature the formal presentation of candidates and the symbolic handover of party flags.

The campaign has been decentralized across the three senatorial districts; Lagos East, Lagos Central, and Lagos West, with Lagos West further subdivided due to its size.

Party leaders, as well as elected and appointed officials from the federal, state, and local levels, are expected to attend the flag-off ceremony.


“The flag-off ceremony will be witnessed by party chieftains, elected and appointed officials of the party across the three tiers of government.

The party disclosed that local organizing committees, LOCs, have been established in each local government to drive grassroots mobilization and ensure widespread outreach throughout the state.

The APC had previously concluded its primaries, during which its Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship, and Councilorship candidates emerged across the 20 Local Government Areas, LGAs, 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, and 377 wards in the state.