A former counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has said he voluntarily withdrew from Kanu’s legal team in December 2023.
Naijaonpoint reports that Ejiofor said the withdrawal occurred nearly three years before Kanu’s recent directive terminating his legal services.
Kanu had, in a July 22 letter reportedly issued from the Sokoto Correctional Centre, directed Ejiofor to stop representing him, his family and IPOB in any capacity.
Responding in a statement on Tuesday, Ejiofor maintained that he had not acted as Kanu’s personal lawyer or family counsel since December 2023.
He described suggestions that he continued to represent the IPOB leader personally as a deliberate distortion of the facts.
Ejiofor, however, said his law firm remained on a valid and continuous retainer as solicitors to IPOB.
According to him, the firm secured the discharge and acquittal of more than 200 persons accused of being IPOB members in courts across Abuja, Ebonyi and Abia states between December 2023 and 2025.
He argued that Kanu did not independently appoint his firm as IPOB’s solicitors, noting that the separatist leader’s involvement was limited to his personal representation.
Ejiofor said that personal relationship had already ended before the recent termination directive.
“It is equally important to place on record that IPOB, as an organisation, has today reaffirmed our standing as its solicitors and legal representatives,” he said.
“That professional relationship is founded upon a continuing mandate and cannot be retrospectively altered, invalidated, or otherwise dictated by its former leaders.”
Ejiofor also raised questions about the authenticity of communications purportedly issued by inmates.
Citing provisions of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, he argued that correspondence originating from a correctional facility should be properly authenticated by the officer in charge.
He warned lawyers and members of the public against relying on unauthorised messages purportedly issued by persons in custody.
In the July 22 letter, Kanu reportedly withdrew any authority previously granted to Ejiofor to represent him or IPOB.
He also directed the lawyer to stop issuing public statements on behalf of himself, his family and the separatist group.
Kanu further asked Ejiofor to withdraw from pending cases in which he remained counsel on record.
The detained IPOB leader warned that any unauthorised disclosure of confidential information obtained during their previous lawyer-client relationship could amount to professional misconduct.
He said such conduct could result in disciplinary action before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).
