Why Nnamdi Kanu sacked Ifeanyi Ejiofor as counsel – Lawyer

Barrister Christopher Chidera, a member of Nnamdi Kanu’s defense team, has publicly detailed the professional lapses that led to the disengagement of Ifeanyi Ejiofor as counsel to the IPOB leader. In a statement released Tuesday, Chidera argued that the legal team’s failure to challenge procedural irregularities significantly contributed to the prolongation of Kanu’s detention and his subsequent conviction.

According to Chidera, the primary grievance centers on the legal team’s failure to file a preliminary objection against an “irregular civil stay” application filed by the Federal Government following the Court of Appeal’s October 2022 discharge order. Chidera stated, “The legal team failed to file a Preliminary Objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the illegal civil stay. This failure removed a potent procedural barrier. Had the jurisdictional foundation been properly contested, the court would have been compelled to determine whether it could lawfully grant relief to a party in contempt.”

The statement further alleges that Ejiofor initiated a “vicious campaign of spurious and malicious allegations” against Kanu’s family members after they demanded accountability for the team’s tactical failures. Chidera accused Ejiofor of attempting to isolate Kanu by feeding falsehoods to the IPOB leader’s wife and other associates, characterizing the former lawyer’s subsequent public attacks as a distraction from his own professional shortcomings.

Chidera emphasized that the current appeal before the Court of Appeal must address these “foundational irregularities,” noting that the legal errors allowed for a lower court to enter a conviction on counts previously quashed by a superior appellate court. The statement concluded by calling for transparency within the legal profession and asserting that family members have a right to demand competence from counsel in high-stakes human rights and terrorism litigation. Ejiofor has yet to issue a formal response to these specific allegations regarding his professional conduct and the circumstances of his dismissal.