•Laments: ‘l have been rendered homeless’

•Calls on international community to intervene

Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lawyer to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has spoken from his hideout, responding to his being declared wanted, on Tuesday, by the Anambra State Command of the Nigeria Police Force.

In a video message released by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, Kanu’s lawyer faulted the police press release which said that a complaint was lodged in against him for abduction by 11:00am arguing that a complaint could not be lodged against him by 11:00am when he spoke with the Area Commander around 6:00am and he was not given such information.

He said that the Area Commander in response to why they were in his house said they came to pick one of his men fingered in a communal dispute.

Ejiofor said: “On Sunday, December 1, 2019, the DPO of Oraifite police station called me between 8 and 9pm in the night and he never passed any information in the cause of our talk. Then, by 6am in the morning, I got a call from my elder brother, Emeka Ejiofor, that police has invaded my hone, led by the Area Commander.

“I requested to speak with the Area Commander and he obliged me. I requested to know why they were in my house and he said they came to arrest one of my wards that was involved in local conflict.

“I told him I was out of the house at that moment but would be back between 10:30/11:00am and will visit his office to know what the problem was. He emphasized that time is of the essence saying that time is of the essence. I became worried because I returned home since November 24, 2019 for the burial of my brother and since coming home, I have not gone out to anywhere. I have been at home receiving visitors till Sunday when we went for outing service and I didn't have problem with anybody.

“So when I got back home, I had a brief discussion with my mother and told her I was going to see the Area Commander but on a second thought, I decided to go and pick my uncle to accompany me. I took the unconventional way to my uncle’s house and as I was on my way, my younger brother called and said police has invaded my house, shooting every living thing in sight.

“In the process, they killed four people in my house and set my house and some houses in the neighborhood ablaze

“They later drove away with their corpses and took them to Nkwo Oraifite market along Onitsha/Owerri road and burnt them.”

While saying that his mother was also shot in the process and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital, he said that the lock up shops close to his house were also burnt with people inside it.

Ejiofor noted about 20 people were killed in the course of the brouhaha and not four as claimed lamenting that his house has been razed down.

He wondered why the Police would invade his house, kill and burn his house when he has not committed any offence and even with the promise to visit the Police station on his return to his house.

He opined that the he was the target insisting that if he was not far better, the police would have waited for him to report to the station before invading his home.

The lawyer further fingered a Katsina State-based Oraifite businessman of conniving with the security personnel to kill him so he would stop representing IPOB in court saying that he has been winning his cases for the group.

According to him, the unnamed businessman is in alliance with the Fulani cabal to kill him.

He added: “IPOB is a peaceful, non-violent organisation and there is no reason to label them a terrorist organization.”

Ejiofor called on United Nations, United States of America, United Kingdom and Nigerian Bar Association to intervene in his matter, lamenting that he has been rendered homeless for committing no crime.

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