Former legal counsel to Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has spoken publicly following his removal from the high-profile legal team, saying he remained silent for years despite what he described as sustained attacks, threats and attempts to damage his reputation.
Ejiofor’s reaction comes after a letter reportedly issued from the Sokoto Correctional Centre on July 22, 2026, formally ended his role as Kanu’s personal lawyer. The letter also reportedly warned him against making public comments or revealing confidential information obtained during his legal representation, stating that any breach could amount to professional misconduct.
Responding in a statement shared on his Facebook page on Monday, Ejiofor rejected suggestions that his silence should be interpreted as weakness. Instead, he said he deliberately chose restraint, despite what he claimed were repeated acts of blackmail, defamatory allegations and petitions filed against him before relevant professional bodies.
The legal practitioner further alleged that he received threats while still serving as Kanu’s lawyer. According to him, instructions were allegedly issued from detention directing supporters to target him, while accusations touching on both his professional conduct and personal life were also circulated against him.
“The time has not yet come for me to divulge professionally obtained information. And even if I had intended to do so, I would have done so long before now,” Ejiofor said.
He argued that recent warnings about client confidentiality only surfaced after it became clear that certain information in his possession could potentially be relevant in defending another party in an ongoing defamation lawsuit. Ejiofor maintained that throughout his legal career, he has acted in line with professional ethics and would not be responsible for the consequences of another person’s actions.
Without directly addressing the authenticity of the letter ending his appointment, Ejiofor questioned what he described as the sudden urgency surrounding calls for confidentiality.
“Why the sudden panic? Why the hurried invocation of professional confidentiality? Why the desperate attempt to silence a voice that has, for years, chosen restraint over retaliation?” he asked.
He concluded by warning that the situation was far from over, insisting that his silence should not be mistaken for surrender.
“For now, nothing has been said. And perhaps that is precisely what is causing all the lamentation. It is only a matter of time,” he stated.
The reported directive terminating Ejiofor’s services also warned that any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information obtained during his legal representation could attract disciplinary proceedings before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee as well as other legal consequences.
