Kanu’s lawyer, Ejiofor, reacts to purported sack
Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, a counsel to the incarcerated leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has reacted to his sacking as one of the lawyers to the Biafran agitator by his family.
According to ripplesnigeria.com, the termination of Ejiofor’s services alongside Mike Ozekhome (SAN), was announced on Thursday by Kanu’s brother, Kanunta, who said the decision was taken by the Kanu family.
In the statement posted on Twitter, Kanunta said:
“I hereby formally notify @MikeozekhomeSAN and @lfeanyiEjiofor that their services are no longer required in #MaziNnamdiKanu case pending before the Supreme court of Nigeria and all concerning him.
“After Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case on 11th May 2023 Prof Mike Ozekhome SAN has refused to see his client in DSS headquarters Abuja even after several messages from #MNK to see him.
“Secondly, for stopping the medical doctors who were to examine #MNK on 5th June even when he and Bar. Ifeanyi Ejiofor was duly informed on the 2nd of June and #MNK told them to inform his family to arrange that.
“For these obvious reasons and many more, Prof Mike Ozekhome SAN and Barr Ifeanyi Ejiofor are hereby SACKED as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s counsels.
“The Kanu’s family do appreciate your time and efforts so far, please handover the legal documents asap”.
But reacting to the sacking on Friday, Ejiofor insisted that he is still Kanu’s legal counsel and advised the general public to dismiss Kanunta’s publication, noting that he did it to tarnish the image of Kanu’s legal team.
In a disclaimer he posted on his Twitter page, Ejiofor said Kanunta was not speaking for Kanu and the family.
He noted that neither Kanunta nor any other member of the family had at any time given him the brief to handle Kanu’s case and as such, had no powers to sack him.
“My letters of engagement were issued to me in 2015 by Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB is still with me to date,” he said.
“Neither Kingsley Kanu nor anybody acting on his behalf engaged Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to represent Onyendu in any matters affecting him.
“Biafrans and members of the public are aware that Onyendu specifically requested to see Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, upon his abduction and extraordinary rendition to Nigeria.
“During that meeting, which details are already in the public domain, Onyendu personally briefed Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN to head his legal team. Till date, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN has done creditably and overwhelmingly well in deploying his advocacy skills in representing Onyendu in all Courts in Nigeria.
“I wish to unequivocally state that Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu never dismissed, disengaged, nor has he expressed any intention of dismissing his legal team ably led by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
“Biafrans and indeed the members of the general public are respectively advised to ignore in its entirety, the obviously DEFAMATORY, MISCHIEVOUS, FAKE, REPREHENSIBLE, DENIGRATING, INSULTING AND UNAUTHORIZED Public Notice issued by Kingsley Kanu alias Kanunta Kanu, as it is NOT TRUE.”
