Former lead counsel Ifeanyi Ejiofor has attributed Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction to inexperienced individuals who took over the defence, accusing them of undermining years of strategic legal work.
The former lead counsel to detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has alleged that “amateur legal showmanship” and “social-media theatrics” by individuals who later assumed control of the defence contributed to Thursday’s conviction of the separatist leader, according to a report from PUNCH.
Ejiofor, who represented Kanu for nearly a decade before withdrawing from the case in 2024, claimed in a Saturday statement that the trial was pushed into a “judicial ambush” due to actions of people he described as “clueless clowns” and “entertainers in wigs.”
Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja after being found guilty on seven terrorism-related charges, a judgment that has sparked widespread reactions across the country, particularly in the South-East, where calls for political dialogue have intensified. Ejiofor, who began representing Kanu in 2015, noted that the defence had previously secured a major victory in October 2022 when the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted him over his unlawful rendition from Kenya. However, a government-obtained stay of execution kept Kanu in custody.
According to Ejiofor, “sustained pressure, strategic diplomacy, and airtight legal manoeuvring” had positioned the team for another significant breakthrough before his departure, but internal disputes and leaked information disrupted progress. He criticised the new handlers for prioritising online content over legal preparation, saying, “Instead of crafting a legal strategy, they crafted Instagram stories. Instead of mastering case law, they mastered camera angles.”
He lamented the withdrawal of seasoned lawyers and called for experienced legal experts to “clean up the monumental damage” and adopt a less publicity-driven strategy going forward.