A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered four suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to remove their shirts after a Department of State Services (DSS) investigator alleged that they had Eastern Security Network (ESN) marks on their bodies.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the order during the trial of four defendants accused of abducting and murdering a DSS operative, Ekpenyong Owoh, in February 2022.
The defendants are Michael Okafor, also known as Onyechimeleze; Chinedu Chukwudzie, alias Kante; Chibunna Olisa; and Chigoze Olisa, also known as Ability.
A DSS investigator, who testified as Prosecution Witness One (PW1) under the codename AAA, told the court that investigations linked the defendants to Owoh’s abduction and murder.
According to the witness, Owoh was travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Awka when he was abducted and taken to the defendants’ camp.
He alleged that Okafor, whom he identified as an ESN sub-commander, and the other defendants were present during the incident.
The witness further disclosed that investigations led to the recovery of the deceased’s Toyota Pontiac vehicle and mobile phone, while the defendants were subsequently arrested.
Following the allegation that the defendants had ESN marks on their bodies, Justice Abdulmalik directed them to step forward and remove their shirts individually for inspection.
The witness and defence lawyers, K.C. Ekwe and G.U. Oputa, confirmed the presence of the marks.
The DSS investigator also told the court that the defendants voluntarily made statements during investigations, which were recorded.
However, defence counsel alleged that the statements were obtained under duress, prompting the judge to order a trial-within-trial to determine their admissibility.
The witness denied that the defendants were tortured and disclosed that video recordings of their statements had been downloaded onto a flash drive.
The court subsequently granted an application by prosecution counsel, Munirat Oladunjoye, for the confessional video recordings to be played in open court.
The defendants were arraigned on September 28 on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearms, including an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case until November 16 for continuation of the trial-within-trial and cross-examination of the witness.
The judge warned defence counsel that they risked forfeiting their right to cross-examine the witness if they failed to appear on the next adjourned date.
