June 19, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
The Federal High Court in Abuja heard shocking testimony on Wednesday from a Department of State Services (DSS) official regarding the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
According to the official, during a raid on one of ESN’s hideouts, DSS agents discovered members engaging in cannibalism, claiming it was for spiritual purposes.
“We saw about seven ESN members with human heads, and some were eating human flesh, which they said was for spiritual fortification,” the witness stated under examination by prosecuting lawyer Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) in the terrorism trial of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The DSS official further testified that IPOB and ESN members were responsible for the deaths of over 170 security agents in the Southeast.
He detailed how the group’s activities included attacks on prominent individuals, traditional rulers, and public properties such as police stations.
The witness also provided evidence on the illegal importation of a radio transmitter for Radio Biafra, stating that Kanu did not obtain the necessary license from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
“There was no application from the defendant. He brought in the transmitter illegally without approval,” the witness said, adding that IPOB members contributed funds for its purchase.
The court heard about the circumstances surrounding the death of Ahmed Gulak, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who was killed on May 30, 2021, in Owerri.
The witness recounted how an ESN member, identified as Uzuoma Benjamin (aka Onye Army), confessed to receiving directives from Kanu to kill security agents and to bury a deceased member, Ikonso, with 2,000 human heads.
“Onye Army claimed that he and other members of his group used the heads of 10 girls to prepare charms for their protection,” the witness revealed.
The DSS official also linked Kanu to the invasion of Owerri prison, stating that Kanu’s broadcast directed followers to attack security operatives.
Further investigation showed that Kanu had ordered Ikonso’s burial with 2,000 heads, but only 30 were obtained.
When asked about Onye Army’s current status, the witness said, “We could not find Onye Army. The police said he had escaped from custody.”
The witness confirmed that records showed between 170 and 200 security agents had been killed in the Southeast, including two DSS officials.
Describing ESN members as combatants who carry arms and attack homes and public properties, the witness noted that they sometimes set up roadblocks to hijack vehicles due to insufficient operational tools.
The court was also shown evidence of public properties attacked and destroyed by IPOB and ESN members in the region.
