Kanu’s Trial: IPOB accuses Awomolo of abuse of legal process, alleges PW-BBB not DSS officer but lawyer in prosecution counsel’s law firm
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Prosecution of “continued abuse of legal process and deployment of deception in the ongoing trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” leader of the self-determination group.
In a statement issued Friday – earlier today, May 16, 2025 – the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB accused the government’s lead counsel in the ongoing trial, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo of presenting “an individual referred to as Prosecution Witness BBB (PW-BBB) but who does not work for the Department of State Services (DSS) and who has been exposed under cross-examination as a government-planted mercenary.”
“PW-BBB is a lawyer affiliated with the law firm of Awomolo SAN, the lead prosecution counsel in the matter,” IPOB alleged in the statement by Powerful. “This individual is receiving strategic coaching to impersonate an informed insider when in reality, he has no legitimate connection to DSS operations or the detention regime under which Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been unjustly held. His courtroom performance—peppered with statements like “I don’t know,” “It’s not my job,” “No one informed me”—reveals a witness wholly ignorant of the facts and unqualified to provide any reliable testimony.”
Further chiding the Prosecution for its underhand legal tactics in the ongoing trial, IPOB said: “It is particularly alarming that PW-BBB’s name and statement were never disclosed in the original list of prosecution witnesses served to the defense. This last-minute substitution amounts to trial by ambush, a prosecutorial misconduct that should be rebuked and sanctioned. IPOB calls on the Honourable Justice James Omotosho to take judicial notice of this underhanded tactic and ensure such abuse of process is not permitted to taint the sanctity of the courtroom.
“Moreover, the facts surrounding Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s detention are clear and verifiable. Solitary confinement is a standard DSS operational protocol, and numerous independent reports have confirmed that our leader is being subjected to this inhumane condition. UK Consular staff who conduct periodic visits to Mazi Kanu are aware of this, and the DSS’s internal records can corroborate it. No hired actor or government witness can alter these truths.
“The attempt to lend credibility to the lies of a coached stranger is not only a disservice to justice, but also a profound insult to the Nigerian judiciary. IPOB calls on media houses to resist becoming echo chambers for state propaganda. Upholding truth, objectivity, and constitutional principles is more urgent now than ever.
“We assure the public and the international community that the identity, role, and deception of PW-BBB will be fully exposed. The Nigerian government must be held accountable for its continued manipulation of the judicial process. Justice must prevail. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be released unconditionally.”
