The family of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has made the decision to suspend his legal counsels, Prof Mike Ozekhome SAN and Bar. Ifeanyi Ejiofor. This decision comes as a result of the lawyers' refusal to meet with Kanu during his detention and their alleged interference in preventing medical doctors from examining Kanu's health at the Department of State Services (DSS) custody.
Kanu's younger brother, Kanunta Kanu, took to Twitter to announce the family's action, stating that Ozekhome and Ejiofor have been dismissed from their roles as Nnamdi Kanu's legal representatives. The family accuses the lawyers of not visiting Kanu at the DSS headquarters in Abuja despite numerous requests from Kanu himself.
Furthermore, the family claims that the lawyers obstructed the scheduled medical examination of Kanu on June 5, despite being informed about it on June 2. Kanu had instructed them to inform his family to make the necessary arrangements for the examination. These incidents, among others, prompted the family to terminate the services of Ozekhome and Ejiofor.
It is worth noting that Nnamdi Kanu has been in the custody of the DSS since June 27, 2021, following his arrest in Kenya and subsequent repatriation by the Nigerian government. Although the Nigerian Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged Kanu of all charges leveled against him on October 13, 2022, ordering his immediate release, he has remained in detention due to the government's objection to the court's ruling.
The Kanu family expresses gratitude for the lawyers' previous efforts but requests that they promptly hand over all legal documents associated with Nnamdi Kanu's case.
