If the revelation by Harvard trained lawyer and founder of Due Process Advocates (DPA), Barrister Emeka Ugwuonye is anything to go by,
Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor could have been a tool in the hands of the Federal Government against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
According to Barr. Ugwuonye, the lead counsel to the embattled leader of IPOB “has been implicated in a serious case of fraud, forgery, criminal breach of trust” and the investigation by the Anti-graft Agency; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC started in 2015.
In a post, titled, “WHY THE BIGGEST PROBLEM NNAMDI KANU AND IPOB MEMBERS HAVE HAD WAS THE LAWYER THEY USED”, Ugwuonye narrated that: “With this case and the evidence the state has, Barrister Ejiofor has all along been a tool in the hand of the Nigerian Government. He has been at the mercy of the government. He would do anything to stay out of prison. And he has been doing his best to please the government, but his clients were not aware.”
According to the human rights attorney, the anti-graft agency has conducted a meticulous investigation and established what he described as water tight case against Ejiofor.
The charges against Ifeanyi Ejiofor he said, were filed in 2016 at the FCT High Court, Wuse, Abuja.
Below is the details of the charges against Ejiofor:
He however, said that the original judge retired and the case started de nove and was reassigned in 2020.
Ugwuonye wrote: “The case of this decade is going to be FRN vs. IFEANYI EJIOFOR & 2 ORS; CHARGE NO. CR/950/2020, Court No. 3, FCT High Court, Maitama, before Honourable Justice Anini. The case is coming up on 30/3/2022 for continuation of hearing. In that case, the lead counsel of IPOB, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor has been standing trial for fraud and other offences.
“Why do I think that I should be addressing all Igbos on this matter? In 2017, I agreed to represent Nnamdi Kanu in a limited capacity. One of the problems I had was that I could not work with Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor. I quietly narrowed my involvement in that case and eventually withdrew completely. But I did not say anything immediately.
“When Nnamdi Kanu’s case came up again, in 2021, I warned that Barrister Ejiofor was the greatest obstacle for Nnamdi Kanu. Many people did not understand this. In fact, many attacked me. Even the leaders of InterSociety, a group I had taken seriously before now, came out to attack me for objecting to Ifeanyi Ejiofor.
“Well, let me now reveal the shocking truth! Since 2015, Barrister Ejiofor has been implicated in a serious case of fraud, forgery, criminal breach of trust. The EFCC began to investigate the case in 2015. The EFCC did a very thorough investigation and built up a water tight case against Ejiofor. Charges were filed in 2016 at the FCT High Court, Wuse, Abuja. The original judge retired and the case started de nove and was reassigned in 2020. Hence, the new case number that shows 2020.
“The evidence is damning. And without intending to preempt the outcome, there is 90% chance that Ejiofor would be convicted.
“With this case and the evidence the state has, Barrister Ejiofor has all along been a tool in the hand of the Nigerian Government. He has been at the mercy of the government. He would do anything to stay out of prison. And he has been doing his best to please the government, but his clients were not aware.
“Normally, when a lawyer is facing a serious criminal trial and he knows there is strong evidence against him, he must inform his clients and give them the opportunity to evaluate whether they would use him despite his pending criminal trial. But Ejiofor did not explain his legal jeopardy to Nnamdi Kanu. He did not let him know that he was at the mercy of the government. And the government also kept quiet about it because they liked to use Ejiofor as a tool.
“Now that Nnamdi Kanu and his family have been able to side-track Ejiofor, the Government knows that Ejiofor has no further value in helping them deal with Nnamdi Kanu. Hence, the case is going forward with trial. Ejiofor was in court for his trial on Thursday, 3rd February. Trial will continue on 30th March, 2022. Ejiofor has been desperately asking for a plea bargain. He wants to plead guilty to a lesser offense that will avoid long jail time for him.
“Now, do you understand the implication: that all along, the lawyer Nnamdi Kanu has used was one that was at the mercy of the Government of Nigeria? Despite all the statements Ejiofor was making in the press, the fact was that he was at the mercy of the Government and could be working for them. You don’t have to be a lawyer to know that Barrister Ejiofor was not to have remained Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer when he was begging the Nigerian Government for a plea bargain. Poor Nnamdi Kanu and poor IPOB. They never understood what they faced. And what does this say about the Biafran project and the Igbos generally? These people were all along being controlled through their own lawyer.
“Well, I understand that many of you will not believe me. You don’t have to. I gave you a case and a charge number, the courtroom, the judge, and the court date. Why not find out yourself? God there tomorrow and ask the Registrar to show you the file. I have the 200-paged charging package. You can get a copy for yourself.”
