The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he will appear as a witness in the ongoing trial of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, if properly subpoenaed by the court.
Wike stated this on Friday during his monthly media chat in Abuja when asked about being named among the witnesses Kanu intends to call in his defence.
Kanu, who is facing terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja, had earlier filed a motion notifying the court of his readiness to open his defence on Friday, October 24, 2025. In the motion, the IPOB leader listed 23 witnesses, including Wike; former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.); and former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), among others.
Reacting to the development, the FCT Minister said he was unaware of any formal request from the court requiring his appearance, stressing that he had not been served any legal process in that regard.
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“I did not go to him (Kanu) to say I want to be a witness; you are the one saying that. So, if you see him, ask him why he listed Wike as one of his witnesses,” Wike said.
“You don’t become a witness by reading a newspaper. Nobody has served me process; nobody has subpoenaed me. So, because I saw Wike has been listed, therefore, I begin to run helter-skelter. No, you do not do that.
“If I am served, if I am subpoenaed to come and give witness or to give evidence, I must obey the court; I must appear,” he added.
Wike’s comment comes amid heightened interest in Kanu’s trial, which has dragged on since his re-arrest and extradition to Nigeria in 2021. The IPOB leader, who has continued to maintain his innocence, recently opted to personally conduct his defence in court.
