From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is set to relieve one of his most senior lawyers of his duties, for not handling his matter professionally Daily Sun has gathered.
The IPOB leader, who is currently in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), is reportedly angry with the said senior lawyer, who he accused of not being able to secure his release from custody since his incarceration for what he described as no crime.
Top security sources, who did want to be mentioned in print, told Daily Sun that Kanu accused his lawyers of being only interested in his money, as they were not doing enough to get him out of detention.
Only recently, a crisis rocked Kanu’s legal team as he continues his terrorism case with the federal government. There were reports that Kanu had expressed worry over the apparent clash in his legal team, over who leads the counsel in order to succeed at the court in the ongoing terrorism case with the federal government.
The embattled IPOB leader also expressed worry that the infighting within the legal team has prevented the team from presenting a formidable case. This came after Kanu’s American lawyer, Bruce Fein, wrote a letter to Ifeanyi Ejiofor, a member of Kanu’s legal team, urging him to immediately refrain from representing the IPOB leader.
In the said letter, Fein noted that Ejiofor was not eligible to defend Kanu against the Nigerian government’s amended charges in the court, citing a pending lawsuit instituted by a businessman against Ejiofor, over an alleged fraud of N5.6 million.
Part of the letter reads: “How can you be blind to what all the world can see and understand?
“According to the public record, you have a blatant conflict of interest in representing Nnamdi Kanu against the federal government of Nigeria’s amended charges in the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Judicial Division Holden in Abuja, Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, in violation of Rule 10 of the Nigerian Rules of Professional Conduct.
“The public record shows you have a conflicting interest to sabotage Nnamdi Kanu’s defence in exchange for leniency or a pardon in the pending fraud prosecution against you in FRN v. IFEANYI EJIOFOR & 2 ORS, CHARGE NO. CR/950/2020, Court No. 3, FCT High Court, Maitama, before Hon. Justice M.E. Anenih.
“The public record establishes that the fraud charges were not concocted by the FGN to preempt your representation of Nnamdi Kanu. The record shows the charges were triggered by a complaint from a private businessman with no political or other ulterior motive to defame or handicap you: Okpala Comas Ikechukwu.
“Among other things, he stated in a complaint to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, that you defrauded him of N5,600,000.00 by conspiring to represent forged land or title documents as authentic.”