A legal practitioner, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has responded to his removal as personal counsel to the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Nnamdi Kanu, saying he has remained silent over the years despite alleged threats and attacks.
Ejiofor’s response follows Kanu’s decision, communicated in a July 22, 2026 letter from the Sokoto Correctional Centre, which formally terminated his services and warned him against making public statements or disclosing confidential information obtained during his legal engagement.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page on Monday, Ejiofor dismissed what he described as “the curious panic of those confronted by nothing but silence,” stressing that he had chosen restraint in the face of repeated provocations.
He alleged that, over time, Kanu had orchestrated campaigns of blackmail against him, filed what he termed frivolous petitions before relevant professional bodies, and made several defamatory claims. He further claimed that threats were issued against him from detention, with instructions allegedly given to supporters to target him.
According to Ejiofor, he also faced accusations relating to his professional conduct and personal life but refrained from responding publicly in line with legal ethics and professional responsibility.
The former IPOB counsel argued that Kanu’s recent emphasis on client confidentiality only emerged after he allegedly became aware of evidence that could be used in court in defence of another party in an ongoing defamation case.
“The time has not yet come for me to divulge professionally obtained information. And even if I had intended to do so, I would have done so long before now,” Ejiofor said.
He maintained that his actions have consistently been guided by professional ethics, adding that he would not be held responsible for the consequences of another person’s conduct.
Ejiofor also declined to respond directly to what he described as “concocted or apparently forged correspondence hurriedly assembled by overzealous actors,” an apparent reference to Kanu’s termination letter.
Questioning the timing of Kanu’s warning on confidentiality, he asked, “Why the sudden panic? Why the hurried invocation of professional confidentiality? Why the desperate attempt to silence a voice that has, for years, chosen restraint over retaliation?”
He concluded with a note of caution, saying “time is fast running out,” and adding, “For now, nothing has been said. And perhaps that is precisely what is causing all the lamentation. It is only a matter of time.”
Kanu had earlier directed Ejiofor to cease representing him, his family, and IPOB in any capacity, warning that any unauthorised disclosure of confidential information could amount to professional misconduct and attract disciplinary action before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, among other legal consequences.