Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has terminated the engagement of his headline legal team, including Mike Ozekhome SAN and Ifeanyi Ejiofor.
According to a statement posted by his brother, Kanunta Kanu, the lawyers’ services are “no longer required” for the case pending before the Supreme Court of Nigeria and related matters. The dismissal cited alleged failure by the team to advance Kanu’s medical interests, including facilitating urgent ear surgery and to visit him in custody at the Department of State Services (DSS) facility in Abuja.
This legal shake-up follows a landmark judgment in December 2023, when the Supreme Court ruled that Kanu’s terrorism trial must proceed despite his earlier acquittal by the Appeal Court. Sources say Kanu lost confidence in his former legal team after they were unable to secure his release or transfer from DSS detention to a more suitable facility.
His current defence team has also flagged concerns over restricted access to the detainee. Lead counsel Alloy Ejimakor has accused the DSS of violating court-ordered visitation rights for Kanu’s lawyers, thereby hampering his right to a full defence.
Human-rights group Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) condemned the removal of Ozekhome and Ejiofor, describing the timing as “at a critical juncture” in Kanu’s case and cautioning that the move may undermine his defence strategy.
As of now, no official confirmation has been made about who will immediately take over as head of the legal team or how Kanu’s defence strategy will be reorganised. What is clear is that the case remains a high-profile legal and political battle, with far-reaching implications for Nigerian jurisprudence and the broader separatist movement.
