The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has formally dismissed his longtime lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, accusing him of continuing to act and speak on his behalf without authorisation.

FROM the Sokoto Correctional Centre, Kanu said the decision formalised an earlier verbal termination of Ejiofor’s engagement as his personal legal representative.

Kanu stated that all authority previously granted to Ejiofor to represent him, his family, or IPOB had been withdrawn with immediate effect, insisting that the lawyer no longer had any express, implied, or ostensible authority to act on their behalf.

He further directed Ejiofor to stop issuing public statements, granting media interviews, publishing social media posts, or representing him in court or any official capacity. Kanu also urged the lawyer to withdraw from all pending matters where he remains listed as counsel.

The IPOB leader cited the organisation’s Code of Conduct, maintaining that only he has the authority to appoint or remove principal officers or authorise legal representation unless such powers are expressly delegated.

Kanu also warned Ejiofor against disclosing any confidential or privileged information obtained during the course of their professional relationship, noting that such actions could amount to professional misconduct and attract disciplinary proceedings before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), alongside other legal consequences.

He added that all case files and materials relating to his legal representation should be preserved, warning that further legal action, including injunctions and claims for damages, could follow if Ejiofor continued to present himself as his legal representative. (Guardian)