Kanu’s trial derailed by amateur lawyers – Ex-lead counsel, Ejiofor

Kanu and Ejiofor

A former lead counsel to jailed Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has blamed Thursday’s conviction of the separatist leader on what he described as “amateur legal showmanship” and “social-media theatrics” by individuals who later took over the defence.

Ejiofor, who led Kanu’s legal team for nearly a decade before withdrawing from the case in 2024, alleged in a statement on Saturday that the trial was pushed into a “judicial ambush” due to the actions of people he called “clueless clowns” and “entertainers in wigs.”

Kanu was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja after being convicted on seven terrorism-related charges.

His conviction has continued to generate nationwide reactions, particularly in the South-East, where political and socio-cultural leaders have renewed calls for dialogue and a political resolution. Punch