Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has recently dismissed his legal team.
The decision comes shortly after a Supreme Court ruling that shattered his expectations of being released right away.
According to a reliable source within the judiciary, Kanu has officially ended his contract with his previous legal team, which was headed by a well-known Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“It is true that shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, Nnamdi Ejimakor and Nnameka Ejiofor met with our leader, and he asked them to formally write the termination of the legal contract and give it to the lead counsel. They have already done that, and the Senior Advocate of Nigeria has received the letter terminating the contract,” Vanguard quotes a source as saying on Thursday.
“In place of the former legal team leader, Nnamdi Kanu has approached another legal luminary from Cross River State to hold briefs for him. They met recently and had some discussions on how best to handle his legal matters going forward, but it is not clear if the former chief legal officer for Nigeria will agree to take up the brief,” the source added.
According to reports, dissatisfaction with the previous team’s efforts seems to be the reason for the change. Sources claim that Kanu believed they did not effectively challenge the charges against him and failed to secure his release. They also failed to transfer him from the Department of State Services (DSS) detention facility to the Kuje Correctional Center, where he would have more access to family and friends.
Kanu is also reportedly unhappy with his medical care, feeling that insufficient efforts have been made to provide him with treatment outside the DSS facility under the care of his preferred private doctors outside Nigeria.
It is worth noting that on December 15, 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeal’s judgment in favor of Kanu. The apex court upheld the Federal Government’s appeal, stating that although Kanu’s rendition from Kenya was unlawful, it did not deprive the courts of their jurisdiction to try him. This decision allowed the legal proceedings against the IPOB leader to continue.
