(IPOB): Barr. Ejiofor Counters Ejimakor On Nnamdi Kanu Hiring A New Lawyer | DETAILS

ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER had reported that Ejimakor, a Special Counsel to the IPOB revealed that Chukwuma Machukwu Ume (SAN), has been added to the legal team representing Kanu who is facing charges and detained at the Department of State Service. READ HERE

Reacting to Ejimakor's claim, Ejiofor described the report as a gross misinformation, noting that Mike Ozekhome (SAN), remains the only Senior Advocate of Nigeria recruited by Kanu to represent him.

According to Ejiofor, Ume "was ONLY introduced into the ALREADY EXISTING IPOB legal team, ABLY HEADED BY MY GOODSELF (Ejiofor),to prosecute the pending appeal challenging the PROSCRIPTION OF IPOB. This has nothing whatsoever to do with the defence of ONYENDU in the ongoing criminal trial before the Honourable Justice Binta Nyako at the Federal High Court , Abuja."

Read the full statement below:

CLARIFICATION OF INFORMATION ON THE LEGAL TEAM OF ONYENDU MAZI NNAMDI KANU

RE: ALLEGED INCLUSION OF CHIEF CHUKWUMA MACHUKWU UME, SAN.

My attention has been called tonight to the false and injurious misinformation making the rounds especially in the social media to the effect that Chief Chukwuma Machukwu Ume, SAN, has been included in the legal team defending our indefatigable client, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in the 15-count Amended Charge preferred against him at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

This piece of information has generated effusive commentary of a diverse nature making it expedient for me to say a few words by way of urgent clarification.

Firstly, I say straight away that the information, in all respects and in actual fact, is a gross misinformation. No SAN, apart from Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is in the legal team defending Onyendu in the aforesaid pending criminal matter. Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi KANU picked Chief Ozekhome by himself as soon as he was renditioned back to Nigeria from Kenya on the 29th June, 2021, from where he was crudely ambushed and abducted.

Secondly, Chief Chukwuma Machukwu Ume, SAN, on the instruction of Onyendu, was ONLY introduced into the ALREADY EXISTING IPOB legal team, ABLY HEADED BY MY GOODSELF,to prosecute the pending appeal challenging the PROSCRIPTION OF IPOB. This has nothing whatsoever to do with the defence of ONYENDU in the ongoing criminal trial before the Honourable Justice Binta Nyako at the Federal High Court , Abuja. The appeal MACHUKWU SAN is involved is pending at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division. This appeal and the 15-count Amended Charge pending at the Federal High Court, Abuja, ARE ENTIRELY TWO DIFFERENT CASES.

Thirdly, any instruction to engage any lawyer whatsoever to join in the legal team representing either Onyendu or IPOB in cases pending in court MUST come from Onyendu himself as he did of Chief Ozekome. It can NEVER come from any other person howsoever or whatsoever.

Onyendu has been particularly ENTHUSED by and APPRECIATIVE of the DEPTH , BREADTH AND QUALITY OF ADVOCACY so far demonstrated and deployed by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, in the conduct of his defence at the proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja. Onyendu has an implicit confidence in the present formidable legal team defending him. Accordingly, he has NO NEED OR DESIRE WHATSOEVER to tinker with the idea or ever contemplate the possibility of engaging another senior lawyer in his defence, presently or in the future.

However, in the unlikely event of such future engagement, information to that effect MUST proceed either from my good self or from the reverred and respected learned Silk, Chief Ozekhome, SAN, upon instructions from ONYENDU.

Finally, I hereby urge UMUCHINEKE and the general public to take particular note of the above clarification and be properly guided accordingly

Thank you all, UMUCHINEKE, and remain blessed.

Signed :

Ifeanyi Ejiofor Esq,

IPOB Lead Counsel