A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, admitted as evidence a certified true copy (CTC) of the death certificate of Ahmed Gulak in the ongoing terrorism trial of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Gulak, a former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was killed in 2021 by gunmen in Imo State.
His death certificate was tendered by the prosecution through their second witness (PW2), identified as BBB as part of their evidence to prove the terrorism charges against the IPOB leader.
Kanu is currently facing a 15-count charge of terrorism brought against him by the Federal Government.
At Wednesday’s resumed proceedings, counsel for the federal government, Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, informed the court that though the matter was scheduled for cross examination of PW2 (BBB), he had a question to ask the witness.
“We ask for permission to ask a question, my lord,” he said.
Kanu’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, did not oppose Awomolo’s application and the judge directed him to go ahead.
Awomolo then asked BBB that one of the last pieces of evidence he gave was that during the radio broadcast made by Kanu, he called for a sit-at-home, leading to the death of Gulak.
The witness replied in the affirmative, adding that he participated in some of the investigations on Gulak’s death.
The witness also said he had a certificate of Gulak’s death in the courtroom from the police dated July 18, 2021, emphasising that the document is a certified true copy of the medical report on the former presidential aide.
When the document was shown to Kanu’s lawyer, he said he had no objection and the presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho admitted it in evidence and marked it as Exhibit PWJ.
Awomolo then sought the court’s permission for the document to be given to the witness to read in the open court.
BBB, who read the content of the death certificate, said the document was from the Nigeria Police, Owerri in Imo State, concerning Gulak, who was allegedly shot dead by IPOB members in 2021.
Meanwhile, Kanu’s lawyer, Agabi, a former Attorney General of the Federation debunked claims that he was denied access to the IPOB leader.
Agabi who is the lead defence counsel in the trial of the IPOB leader said neither himself nor any member of his team were denied access to Kanu by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at their holding facility.
Agabi informed the court that the information posted by a member of his team, Alloy Ejimakor, was wrong
He said, “I was not denied access to the defendant. We had arranged to go there with myself, Ikpeazu, Etiaba, Erokoro. But for some reason they were not available.
“When I got to the gate around 1 pm, they said our name had not arrived. To be fair, they (the DSS officials) showed me enough respect. I said I will come back another date,” Agabi told the court.
He also said that he was furious when he found out that a member of his team had shared such information on social media.
When asked about his decision to put out such unconfirmed information, Ejimakaor said he thought his principal was angry because he was denied access to Kanu.
According to Ejimakaor, he was speaking on the phone with Agabi and thought his anger was because he (Agabi) was denied access but later found out he was angry because he (Ejimakor) had given a wrong time for the appointment with the IPOB leader at the DSS facility in Abuja.
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