“Instead of Strategy, They Mastered Camera Angles,” Former Nnamdi Kanu Lead Counsel Blasts Current Legal Team

Ifeanyi Ejiofor, once the lead counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the IPOB leader’s current legal representatives of mishandling his defence and allowing the case to collapse into what he described as a “legal circus.” His remarks follow Thursday’s judgment in Abuja, where a federal high court sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment.

In a statement released Saturday, Ejiofor said he decided to speak out after receiving numerous calls from supporters troubled by the direction of the case. He recalled that his team achieved several decisive victories between 2015 and 2023, including the 2022 court of appeal ruling that discharged and acquitted Kanu, before their strategy was allegedly derailed.

Ejiofor claimed the turning point came when Kanu began sharing confidential details with individuals he described as “clueless clowns,” who convinced him to alter the legal structure. The shift, he said, forced the exit of his team and that of senior advocate Mike Ozekhome, who had taken over leadership of the defence in 2022.

He accused the new team of trivialising an internationally monitored trial, arguing that their priorities quickly shifted from legal strategy to social-media showmanship. Ejiofor said court appearances became dominated by filming, posing and online updates, while essential preparation and research were ignored, leaving Kanu’s fate increasingly vulnerable.

He added that inaccurate information shared online by the new representatives repeatedly conflicted with actual court proceedings, giving the prosecution avoidable advantages. Ejiofor also questioned why respected senior lawyers such as Kanu Agabi and Onyechi Ikpeazu were sidelined during what he described as the most crucial phase of the trial, alleging that the process had been overtaken by individuals more interested in online visibility than legal competence.

Calling the outcome avoidable, Ejiofor said the situation now requires a serious reset grounded in expertise and discretion. He noted that internationally recognised legal experts could only intervene after what he termed a thorough clean-up of the “monumental damage” done.

The tensions within Kanu’s camp deepened on Friday when his wife, Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, accused his legal consultants of failing to inform her about his transfer to Sokoto prison. Earlier that day, counsel Aloy Ejimakor confirmed that Kanu had been moved to a correctional centre in Sokoto following his conviction.