Barrister Christopher Chidera, a member of Nnamdi Kanu’s defense team, has revealed why the IPOB leader dismissed Ifeanyi Ejiofor as his counsel during his terrorism trial.
Ejiofor had represented Kanu at the Abuja Federal High Court before Kanu opted to defend himself in proceedings overseen by Justice James Omotosho.
According to Chidera, the decision stemmed from what he described as “grave professional failures” that prolonged Kanu’s detention.Chidera explained that after the Court of Appeal discharged Kanu on October 13, 2022, the Federal Government filed what he termed an “irregular civil stay application.”
He faulted the legal team for failing to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the application, which allowed the stay to stand and paved the way for further proceedings.
This lapse, Chidera argued, enabled a lower court to convict Kanu on charges already quashed by the appellate court, an anomaly he called “one of the most extraordinary episodes in Nigerian judicial history.”
Beyond legal shortcomings, Chidera accused Ejiofor of launching a campaign of “character assassination” against Kanu’s brothers, who had demanded accountability.
He alleged that Ejiofor spread falsehoods to Kanu’s wife and others, poisoning relationships within the family and diverting attention from the core issue: the failure to contest the illegal stay.
Chidera insisted that Ejiofor’s actions were “morally reprehensible” and fell short of professional ethics. He urged transparency and accountability, stressing that the Court of Appeal must now address the jurisdictional irregularities at the heart of the case.
“The rule of law requires truth, not vendettas,” Chidera concluded. “Families have every right to demand competence from counsel entrusted with such high-stakes matters.”
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