Detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is contemplating overhauling his legal team following his dissatisfaction with factions contending to represent him and the group.
Close sources confirmed that several persons have emerged to lay claim to be representing the legal interest of the IPOB leader and the secession group in recent months, leading to the emergence of many factions competing against themselves.
Those involved in the conflict and relevance battle are reportedly Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Barrister Aloy Ejimakor.
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Meanwhile, Kanu’s brother, Kingsley ‘Kanunta’ Kanu is siding with Ejimakor.
Earlier, following Ejiofor’s misunderstanding with Bruce Fein, Kanu’s American attorney, the international lawyer was excluded from on-the-ground legal activities in Nigeria.
However, it was learnt that some of the IPOB community members in the South East, where the two lawyers hail from, want the duo to be at the forefront of Kanu’s legal matters because of their seeming popularity in the South East and IPOB circles.
But a third legal front said to be largely operating offshore, is believed to be vehemently opposed to their South East counterparts leading the charge, claiming that they should be allowed to manage the legal fireworks for Kanu, having been at the forefront of his defence before others were brought in to take over their work.
A close source told newsmen:
“Some of these people are fighting for superiority, fame, and money and not that they can do the job better than what has been done while others are merely using IPoB’s name and Kanu to fleece people who have been donating towards his cause.
“He is seriously worried to the point of accusing some of these people of working for pecuniary interests and not IPOB and he is contemplating firing some of them.”
Recently, the Court of Appeal in Abuja struck out the terrorism charges filed against Kanu by the Nigerian government and ordered his release from the custody of the Department of State Service (SSS).
The Court said the IPOB leader was “extra-ordinarily renditioned” to Nigeria and that the action was a flagrant violation of the country’s extradition treaty and also a breach of his fundamental human rights.
But the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, told the media that Kanu has many cases to respond to and clear his name before he can be allowed to walk free.
Meanwhile, a source close to Kanu said last night that the IPOB leader was worried over the emergence of many individuals and groups all claiming to be pursuing the legal interest of the group at a time the image of the group and leadership was waning.
It was said that as a result of the infighting among the various legal entities, Kanu is said to be considering overhauling the teams but it was not clear how soon he would do that and who would make the preferred team and who would be dropped in the final analysis.
