Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, lead counsel, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has refuted claims by Nnamdi Kanu’s brothers, Kingsley Kanu, and Emmanuel Kanu, that the legal team of the IPOB leader led by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, had been sacked.
Ejiofor said he had not at any point in time been told by Nnamdi, who briefed him to handle his case,or even IPOB matters, that they had been debriefed, adding “My letters of engagement issued to me since 2015, by Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are still with firmly with me till date.”
Ejiofor in a statement on Thursday shortly after the purported sack of Nnamdi Kanu legal team by his brothers, said: “We visited our indefatigable client, Nnamdi Kanu – today, being June 15, 2023, at the Department of State Security, DSS, Headquarters, Abuja, to brief him on matters relating to his cases in court, including his matter coming up on June 20, 2023, before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“Matters of concerns relating to his deteriorating medical condition occupied the centre stage of our discussions.
“It is important to make the following statements/clarifications:
“The Medical Doctors that attempted to see Onyendu last week Tuesday being June 6, 2023, were not there to participate in any surgical procedure, but to first meet and interface with Onyendu on a preliminary basis.
“The Medical Doctors were expected to consult with our lead counsel- Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, before proceeding with other administrative engagements as we unanimously agreed upon during our well over one hour meeting of June 3, 2023, led by Prof Ozekhome, SAN, which was held with the DSS in the presence of Nnamdi Kanu,who participated in and approached all the decisions reached at the meeting.
“Biafrans should note and be assured that Onyendu’s legal team, ably led by the legal iroko of our time – Prof. Ozekhome, SAN, is closely monitoring every situation about and around Onyendu.
_We are not resting on our oars to get him freed and released from his illegal and unconstitutional detention after his discharge by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division, which also prohibited his further detention or trial on the charges he was standing trial for before his extraordinary and forceful rendition from Kenya to Nigeria onJune 27, 2021.
There is, therefore, no cause for alarm, as the Supreme Court is set to finally decide the matter on September 14, 2023, immediately after the annual vacation.
“We are thousands of miles and steps ahead of the evil plans of the enemies, both from within and from without.Onyendu will be out of the DSS gulag strong and unbroken,by the grace of God.
“In view of the desperate attempt of the enemies to break our rank, the legal team resolved to minimize the information that we make public through my regular updates.
“Therefore, you will not,as in the recent past, be receiving updates on our routine visits as regularly as it used to come, except when there is a compelling situation that demands for it, as the present one specifically demands.
“Several visits to Onyendu, and particularly, the visit of June 3, 2023, was deliberately not publicized because of the confidential nature of the matters discussed, but all relevant persons were duly briefed about the outcomes.
“ May I use this medium to address an obvious highly defamatory and very disappointing publication which was brought to my attention immediately upon I stepped out of the meeting venue of my routine visit to Onyendu at the SSS Headquarters, Abuja. Unarguably, the author intended to serve some satanic mischief through a diet of falsehood and defamatory publication. But, he has failed.
“Let it be on record and be known to the whole world that Neither Kingsley Kanu, Nor Emmanuel Kanu, had at any point in time briefed me to handle Nnamdi Kanu’s case,or even IPOB matters. My letters of engagement issued to me since 2015, by Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are still with firmly with me till date.
“Neither Kingsley Kanu, nor anybody acting on his behalf,ever engaged Prof. Ozekhome, SAN, to represent Onyendu in any matters affecting him. Biafrans and members of the public are aware that Onyendu specifically requested to see Prof. Ozekhome, SAN upon his forceful abduction and extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria in June, 2023.
‘It was not until December, 2022,that Ozekhome finally accepted the the brief.During that first meeting between him and Onyendu, which details are already in the public domain, Onyendu personally briefed Prof. Ozekhome, SAN to head his legal team.
“He also instructed me to put the briefing in writing, which I didbto his satisfaction. Till date, Prof. Ozekhome, SAN has done excellently and overwhelmingly well in deploying his deep knowledge of the law, advocacy skills and daring bravado to represent Onyendu in all courts in Nigeria,churning out successes upon successes.
“ Further to the above, my briefings with Onyendu today, lasted for well over one-hour, during which we discussed pertinent issues concerning his legal and health matters. There was no time howsoever during the meeting that Onyendu entertained or expressed any iota of doubt whatsoever on the ability and capacity of his indefatigable legal team, ably led by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to defend him.
“Onyendu, also proceeded to avail me with other important messages to be passed on to his said lead counsel, which assignments are expected to be conducted within the next 24 hours.
“Kingsley Kanu in a bid to preempt any exposition I may make after today’s visit, proceeded to make the extremely ridiculous publication at exactly 1:57pm Nigerian time, a few minutes before the scheduled visit of 2pm, but which drawn to my attention immediately I left Onyendu.
“He need not have worried himself, because out of respect and deference to Onyendu Kanu, I did not and I do not intend to make any such exposition.
“ As you may be aware, right from the 26th of July, 2021, when an order was made by Hon. Justice Binta Nyako, directing the DSS to allow Onyendu access to his lawyers and relatives, upon prior submission of the names of those visiting Onyendu, my chambers has been exclusively submitting names of those visiting Onyendu, on his personal instructions and this process has continued since then and still subsists till date.
“The names are usually shared with Onyendu before clearance is finally given by the DSS for the visits to take place.
“Against the backdrop of the foregoing, I wish to unequivocally state that Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu never at any time ever dismissed, disengaged, nor has he ever expressed any intention of ‘dismissing’ his legal team ably led by Prof. Ozekhome, SAN. Biafrans and indeed the members of the general public are respectively advised to ignore in its entirety, the obviously false,baseless,defamatory,mischievous, fake, reprehensible, denigrating, insulting and unauthorized public notice issued by one Kingsley Kanu, alias Kanunta Kanu, a person not even known to Prof Ozekhome. The alleged public notice is a blatant lie from the pit of hell fire as it is not true.
“May the general public and indeed Biafrans, be properly guided that the simple reason for dishing out such condemnable falsehood is to ridicule and embarrass Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s legal team ably led by an erudite, foremost and distinguished Senior Advocate of our time – Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
They hope to get him angry and leave Onyendu to his fate for them to prey on,a step the learned SAN has vowed not to take inspite such shenanigans.
“Kingsley Kanu should be assured that his evil strategies are dead on arrival. There is nothing whatsoever, that will stop or deter Onyendu’s legal team which is tirelessly working day and night to ensure that Onyendu is released unconditionally. And he will be released, by the grace of God, to their eternal shame and embarrassment.
“In conclusion, Onyendu further used the opportunity offered by my visit today to convey his deepest appreciation to Prof Ozekhome, SAN, for his humane and robust legal defence; and also thank Ezigbo UmuChineke for standing shoulder to shoulder with him, particularly all through this trying time. Onyendu assured Ezigbo UmuChineke once again that it shall surely end in Praises. He urges you all to remain firm, steadfast, and unrelenting in your supplications to God.
“Furthermore, Onyendu implores Ezigbo UmuChineke to continue to abide by your peaceful conduct as you have consistently demonstrated.”
