Legal practitioner Ifeanyi Ejiofor has refuted claims of his involvement in the appeal challenging the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Although Ejiofor is recognized as IPOB’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor is specifically identified as the legal representative of Nnamdi Kanu, the group’s leader.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Ejiofor distanced himself from the case, asserting that he played no role in the appeal process.
He said, “My attention has been drawn to a misleading tweet by Aloy Ejimakor, which attempts to distort facts and falsely associate me with the recently concluded appeal on IPOB’s proscription. The judgment on the case was delivered on January 30, 2025.”
Ejiofor further clarified that he had no hand in handling the appeal after it was “covertly taken over from me by Machukwu Ume SAN and Aloy Ejimakor in 2022.”
He stated that the legal team handling the case altered the initial documents filed for the appeal, including modifying the legal briefs and introducing new grounds of appeal. He emphasized that he had no insight into the rationale behind these changes, particularly regarding the poor outcome and eventual dismissal of the appeal.
According to him, he had explicitly requested not to be associated with the legal process. “When it became evident that they were maneuvering to take over the appeal, I respectfully asked the Senior Advocate leading them not to include my name in any filings. I made it clear that I had bowed out of the case,” he said.
Ejiofor pointed out that Ejimakor had consistently provided updates on the appeal’s progress without ever mentioning his name. He found it suspicious that Ejimakor was now attempting to involve him after the appeal’s failure.
“The records are clear—Aloy Ejimakor, who is now trying to create confusion by inserting my name into their disastrous legal outcome, never mentioned me when they were actively handling the case. It is questionable that he suddenly seeks to link me to it after the appeal’s dismissal,” he remarked.
He maintained that since Ejimakor and his legal team took over the appeal, they were fully responsible for its outcome. “He should be held accountable for the appeal’s failure rather than dragging my name into his unsuccessful legal battle. I urge him to take responsibility for his actions and stop associating me with his missteps,” Ejiofor insisted.
Furthermore, Ejiofor accused Ejimakor of deliberately trying to link him to failure. “I am not surprised that this master strategist is relentlessly trying to associate me with failure, but I will strongly resist and reject such an attempt,” he said.
He reiterated his complete dissociation from the appeal’s proceedings and outcome, warning against any effort to mislead the public by linking him to the case. “Any attempt to connect me to the appeal’s failure is deceptive and unacceptable, and I will not take it lightly,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Thursday, upheld the Federal High Court’s ruling that designated IPOB as a terrorist organization.
A three-judge panel led by Justice Hamma Barka unanimously dismissed IPOB’s appeal, affirming the government’s decision to proscribe the group. The court maintained that the Federal Government acted within the law, citing IPOB’s activities as a threat to national security.
As a result, the appeal was dismissed for lack of merit.
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