The convicted leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has formally confirmed the termination of his longtime lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, through a letter dated 22 July.

According to Kanu, he had already ended Ejiofor's engagement verbally before now, but decided to issue a written confirmation to remove any doubt about the decision.He stated that Ejiofor no longer has any authority to represent him, his family or IPOB in court, public engagements or any other capacity.Kanu also insisted that, under the IPOB code of conduct, only he has the authority to appoint or remove legal representatives for the organisation.

He further instructed Ejiofor to stop making public statements on his behalf and warned that confidential information obtained during their lawyer-client relationship remains legally protected.Kanu added that he reserves the right to take legal action if such privileged information is disclosed.

Reacting to the development, Ejiofor said Kanu had repeatedly threatened and blackmailed him, alleging that the IPOB leader even made false accusations against him, including an allegation that he had an intimate relationship with Kanu's wife.Ejiofor strongly denied the claims, describing them as defamatory and completely baseless.

He maintained that despite the repeated accusations, he has continued to respect his professional duty of confidentiality and has not disclosed privileged information obtained during his legal representation of Kanu.

The latest letter formally confirms a separation that first became public in June 2023 when Kanu's family announced that both Ejiofor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria Mike Ozekhome were no longer part of his legal team.