Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor has stated that he voluntarily stepped down as legal counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in December 2023, almost three years before Kanu recently announced the termination of his legal services.
Ejiofor made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday, days after Kanu, in a letter reportedly issued from the Sokoto Correctional Centre, directed that the lawyer should no longer represent him, his family or IPOB in any capacity.
The senior advocate maintained that he has not served as Kanu’s personal lawyer, family counsel or legal representative since December 2023, insisting that any suggestion otherwise amounts to a misrepresentation of the facts.
According to him, while he withdrew from Kanu’s personal legal team, his law firm has continued to serve as solicitors to IPOB under a valid and ongoing retainer. He said that in that capacity, the firm secured the discharge and acquittal of more than 200 alleged IPOB members in courts across Abuja, Ebonyi and Abia states between December 2023 and 2025.
Ejiofor further explained that Kanu did not personally appoint his law firm as solicitors to IPOB, noting that the IPOB leader’s involvement was limited to his individual legal representation, from which he had already withdrawn.
He also disclosed that IPOB had reaffirmed his firm’s appointment as the organisation’s legal representatives, arguing that the professional relationship remains valid and cannot be altered by what he described as former leaders of the group.
“It is equally important to place on record that IPOB, as an organisation, has today reaffirmed our standing as its solicitors and legal representatives. That professional relationship is founded upon a continuing mandate and cannot be retrospectively altered, invalidated or otherwise dictated by its former leaders,” he said.
Ejiofor also raised concerns about the authenticity of communications allegedly issued by inmates, citing provisions of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act.
He argued that any correspondence originating from a correctional facility should be duly authenticated by the officer in charge of the facility, cautioning lawyers and members of the public against relying on unauthorised communications purportedly released by inmates.
His statement follows Kanu’s July 22 letter formally ending Ejiofor’s role as his personal lawyer and withdrawing any authority previously granted to him to act on behalf of IPOB.
In the letter, Kanu instructed Ejiofor to stop representing him, his family and IPOB, refrain from issuing public statements on their behalf and withdraw from all pending matters in which he remains counsel of record.
Kanu also warned that any unauthorised disclosure of confidential information obtained during the course of the legal relationship could amount to professional misconduct and attract sanctions from the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.
BACKSTORY:
Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor served for years as one of the lead lawyers representing the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in his terrorism-related trial and other legal matters. However, in July 2026, Kanu announced that Ejiofor should no longer represent him, his family or IPOB, directing him to withdraw from all pending matters and warning against issuing further statements on their behalf.
In response, Ejiofor clarified that he had voluntarily withdrawn as Kanu’s personal lawyer in December 2023, long before the recent directive. He maintained that while he no longer represents Kanu personally, his law firm has continued to act as solicitors to IPOB under a separate and valid legal retainer.
The clarification comes amid growing public attention over Kanu’s legal representation and the internal dynamics surrounding IPOB. Ejiofor insists that the organisation has reaffirmed his firm’s appointment as its legal representatives and says the mandate remains valid despite Kanu’s latest pronouncement.
