Legal practitioner Ifeanyi Ejiofor has reacted to Nnamdi Kanu’s decision to end his services as personal lawyer, saying he stayed silent for years despite repeated attacks, threats and allegations against him.
Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), formally ended Ejiofor’s retainership in a July 22, 2026 letter from the Sokoto Correctional Centre. He also warned the lawyer against making public comments or revealing confidential information obtained during his representation.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday, Ejiofor said it was surprising that his silence was now drawing concern after years of what he called provocation.
He said he had faced alleged blackmail campaigns, petitions before professional authorities and defamatory claims about his integrity and legal practice. Ejiofor also alleged that Kanu threatened him while in detention and encouraged some supporters to attack his reputation.
Despite this, Ejiofor said he refused to respond publicly because of professional ethics and his duty as a lawyer. He said his silence should not be seen as weakness and stressed that he respected lawyer-client confidentiality.
“The time has not yet come for me to disclose professionally obtained information. Even if I had intended to do so, I would have done it long before now,” Ejiofor stated.
The former counsel said he would not breach legal ethics or take responsibility for another person’s actions. He also declined to directly discuss documents he described as hastily prepared or possibly forged, apparently referring to Kanu’s letter.
Ejiofor questioned why Kanu was now stressing legal privilege after years of alleged attacks. He suggested the concern may have followed awareness that certain information could be used in court in the defence of an ongoing defamation case involving another party.
He said his silence was deliberate and based on respect for the law, not a lack of facts or evidence.
Ejiofor ended with a warning that “time is fast running out,” saying his silence may not last indefinitely.
Kanu had also directed him to stop representing him, his family and IPOB in any capacity, warning that unauthorised disclosure of privileged information could amount to professional misconduct, disciplinary action by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) and other legal consequences.
The latest exchange adds another twist to the relationship between Kanu and his former lawyer, who worked with him for years during his prolonged legal battles.
