Former lead counsel blames Kanu’s conviction on “amateur lawyers”, “social media theatrics”
Former lead counsel Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who led Nnamdi Kanu’s defense for nearly a decade, has squarely blamed the separatist leader’s life imprisonment on the subsequent legal team, which he accused of prioritizing publicity over legal competence. Ejiofor, who withdrew in late 2024, claimed that the defense had been close to another legal breakthrough, following the successful Court of Appeal ruling that found Kanu’s rendition unlawful.
However, he stated that this progress was allegedly sabotaged by “clueless clowns” and “entertainers in wigs” whose “social-media theatrics” and “amateur legal showmanship” led the case into a “judicial ambush.” Ejiofor asserted that their actions created inconsistencies that the prosecution exploited, lamenting the withdrawal of experienced senior lawyers and calling for a clean-up of the “monumental damage” and a drastic reduction in publicity for any meaningful rescue effort to proceed.