Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has stated that he will only testify in the trial of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu if the court requires it.
Recall that Kanu’s lawyers formally withdrew their representation after Kanu disengaged his legal team, which was headed by Kanu Agabi, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on Thursday.
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Following this twist, Nnamdi Kanu subsequently listed 23 witnesses, including prominent political and military figures, in two categories — ordinary but material witnesses and vital and compellable — to be summoned under section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.
More recently, Nyesom Wike declared in an interview on Friday in Abuja that he would not testify in Kanu’s trial just because the IPOB leader had listed him as a witness.
If the court formally summons him to testify or provide evidence, the minister promised to comply.
“You don’t become a witness by reading the newspaper. Nobody has served me any process. Nobody has subpoenaed me,” Wike said.
“So, because I was listed, I will begin to run helter-skelter. No, you don’t do that. If I am served or subpoenaed to appear as a witness or provide evidence, I must comply with the court’s orders. I must appear.”
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Wike however declined to comment on whether Kanu’s continued detention requires a political solution.
