Biafra: Court grants FG’s request to shield witnesses’ identities testifying against Nnamdi Kanu

An atmosphere of tension pervaded the Federal High Court in Abuja and its surroundings on Tuesday after Justice Binta Nyako granted the Federal Government’s request for the protection of its prosecution witnesses lined up against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and his co-accused persons.

Justice Nyako had in her ruling granted “leave to the prosecution witnesses to be protected by giving evidence behind the screen that is to be provided by the court.”

The judge also held that “the identities of all the prosecution witnesses will not be disclosed in any record or report of proceedings, which are accessible to the public.”

The judge also made an order “permitting all the prosecution witnesses to be addressed with pseudonyms in the course of proceedings.”

The Federal Government, through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, had filed its application predicated on the fear that its prosecution witnesses could come under security threat if the details of their identities were released to the public.

In granting the application, Justice Nyako ruled that while the faces of the witnesses would be shielded from the court audience, the shielding would be done in such a way that the defendants and their lawyers would be able to see the witnesses while testifying.

She ruled, “l hereby order that the names of the prosecution witnesses, who are security operatives, should appear in a combination of alphabets and such witnesses will be given screens, which will be provided by the court."