Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, has filed a direct criminal complaint against the Attorney General of the Federation, the Director General of the Department of State Services, and two prosecution witnesses. The complaint, filed on November 13, 2025, at a Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja, accuses the parties of criminal perjury, fabrication of evidence, subornation of perjury, and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The complaint, personally signed by Kanu, alleges that the two witnesses, referred to as Mr. TAA and Mr. BBB, lied under oath during the trial. Kanu claims that Mr. TAA denied knowledge of a DSS official who supervised his detention and interrogation in 2015, despite evidence to the contrary. Similarly, Mr. BBB claimed to have never met Kanu before the court proceedings, despite having led a video interrogation of him in 2021.
The complaint also accuses the Attorney General of the Federation and the Director General of the Department of State Services of suborning perjury and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Kanu alleges that the AGF and DSS DG presented surprise witnesses not included in the original proof of evidence, relied on statements obtained under torture, and resisted disclosure of the identities of those who interrogated him.
Kanu’s complaint is based on the grounds that the actions of the AGF, DSS DG, and the two witnesses violated the Penal Code, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, and sections 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution. He is seeking criminal committal proceedings against the parties and punishment for perjury and conspiracy.
The filing of the criminal complaint is significant, as it represents the first time in Nigeria’s legal history that a defendant in DSS custody has initiated criminal proceedings from detention. The complaint demonstrates a growing body of evidence that the prosecution witnesses were manufactured, coached, and deployed to sustain charges otherwise unsupported by lawful, admissible evidence.
The case is set to be heard by the Abuja Federal High Court on November 20, 2025. The outcome of the case will have significant implications for Kanu’s trial and the broader issue of human rights in Nigeria. The complaint highlights concerns about the use of torture, the right to fair trial, and the right to examine one’s accusers, and will be closely watched by human rights advocates and legal experts.