A public affairs analyst and legal practitioner, Barrister Christopher Chidera, has alleged that critical legal lapses by members of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s former legal team contributed to the prolonged detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a public briefing note issued on Tuesday, Chidera claimed that the failure of the legal team, led by senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome with Ifeanyi Ejiofor serving as a key member, to challenge what he described as an “illegal civil stay of execution” application filed by the Federal Government created the legal pathway for subsequent proceedings against Kanu.
According to the analyst, the Court of Appeal’s October 13, 2022 judgment, which discharged Kanu, effectively terminated the criminal proceedings against him. He argued that the Federal Government’s subsequent application for a stay of execution should have been challenged on jurisdictional grounds, alleging that the court had become functus officio after delivering its judgment.
Chidera contended that the legal team failed to file a preliminary objection against the application, a move he described as a “fatal omission” that allowed the stay to stand and paved the way for further legal actions.
The analyst further alleged that the legal shortcomings contributed to what he termed an unprecedented period of detention and subsequent judicial proceedings involving counts that had previously been quashed by the appellate court.
Addressing the circumstances surrounding Ejiofor’s removal from Kanu’s legal team, Chidera claimed that members of Kanu’s family demanded accountability over the handling of the case. He alleged that rather than accepting responsibility, Ejiofor launched a campaign of accusations against Kanu’s brothers and other associates.
The analyst also accused Ejiofor of failing to publicly address the alleged legal mistakes while continuing to criticise individuals linked to Kanu’s family and former IPOB leadership structures.
Chidera called for transparency and accountability, arguing that the issues surrounding the stay of execution application and the subsequent proceedings should be fully examined by the Court of Appeal.
He maintained that the ongoing appeal raises important questions concerning jurisdiction, fair hearing, and compliance with appellate court orders, urging the judiciary to address what he described as foundational irregularities in the case.
The claims made by Chidera reflect his personal legal and public affairs analysis and have not been independently verified by the courts. Ejiofor has previously defended his role in Kanu’s legal representation, while the matters raised remain subjects of ongoing legal proceedings.
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