By Eric Elezuo

One of the Senior lawyers representing the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Mr. Maxwell Opara, Esq, has debunked rumours making the rounds that the IPOB leader has sacked one of his senior lawyers for alleged poor representation.

In a statement the senior lawyers signed himself, he insisted that the malicious story emanated from a fifth columnist whose stock in trade is infuriate the legal team, especially the leader, Chief Mike Ozekhome, into abandoning the IPOB leader to his fate.

Opara informed that he met with Nnamdi Kanu only on Thursday, and both held over an hour meeting ,where he was full of praises for the team and Ozekhome, and therefore wandered where a mischief maker got the information that Kanu wanted to sack the team.

He therefore called on the general oublic to ignore the story as figments of the imagination of people who means no good, and should be avoided.

Going down memory lane, Opara itemized how the present Ozekhome-led team has tirelessly worked to see that majority of the charges against the IPOB leader were dropped, to even granting him freedom, which the Federal Government has so far refused. He therefore, dismissed the story as fake, fabrication and a lie from the pit of hell, wondering why the source of the fake news failed to name the senior lawyer Nnamdi Kanu was bent on sacking.

The statement lambasted those who abandoned Nnamdi Kanu in times of need, adding that such persons are out now struggling to reap where they did not sow.

“Let me use this medium to inform the general public to ignore the most senseless post being circulated by mischief makers whose primary aim is get Prof Mike Ozekhome angry and abandon Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to his fate by withdrawing from his case and defence. I know what we went through before Prof Ozekhome accepted this brief to lead us in this matter. It is his involvement that resulted in quashing all the charges against MNK at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal. Those who ran away and shunned MNK in his hours of travails are suddenly out to hijack the brief towards final success and take credit for a job they never did,” Opara added.

Read Maxwell Opara’s rejoinder in full:

ALLEGED MOVE TO DISSOLVE NNAMDI KANU’S LEGAL TEAM: A LIE FEOM THE PIT OF HELL

I just finished my matter at the FCT High Court, Gwagwalada, Abuja. I opened my WhatsApp only for me to see one stupid trending post captioned “Kanu sacked Senior lawyer over poor representation”.

Unnfortunately, the confused and obviously paid hatchet writer did not mention the name of the particular senior lawyer allegedly sacked, since virtually all the lawyers in the legal team prosecuting Kanu’s release from illegal detention by the Federal Government (who are ably led by our own erudite and renowned Prof. Mike Ozekhome, San, CON, OFR, Ph.D), are senior lawyers.

But to put the record straight, the entire story is a complete fabrication and a lie from the pit of hell. It was concocted and deposited by 5th columnists, who want to reap where they did not sow. For the avoidance of doubt, I personally visited Mazi NNAMDI Kanu only yesterday (Thursday, 9th March, 2023 ) at the DSS headquarters where he is being detained. I spent over an hour with him till past 4pm. I had told him Prof Mike Ozekhome could not come physically because he was a little in the weather after his appearance at the Presidential Election Tribunal at the Court of Appea,Abuja. MNK screamed and told me to go straight from the DSS office to see him on his behalf and to know how he was doing. He said we should advise Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to have more rest because he still needs the learned Chief to accomplish the good work he has already started doing for him since he took over his defence. He made it clear that the learned Silk is a “game changer” who positively changed the entire narrative of his case as soon as he took over his defence, getting all the 15 courts charge quashed both at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, Abuja.

Let me use this medium to inform the general public to ignore the most senseless post being circulated by mischief makers whose primary aim is get Prof Mike Ozekhome angry and abandon Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to his fate by withdrawing from his case and defence. I know what we went through before Prof Ozekhome accepted this brief to lead us in this matter. It is his involvement that resulted in quashing all the charges against MNK at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal. Those who ran away and shunned MNK in his hours of travails are suddenly out to hijack the brief towards final success and take credit for a job they never did.

And they include very senior lawyers known to us, but who are being used by one or two persons close to MNK. We shall soon expose them to the world if they do not retrace their evil steps.

Meanwhile, I have been able to speak with Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN and delivered to him the goodwill message of his client, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. MNK told me to inform Ozekhome that he so much cherishes the Prof for his hardwork, trust, honesty, dedication and uncommon legal representation. He greatly appreciates all that Prof Mike Ozekhome has done and is still doing for him so far. He believes that God sent the courageous and cerebral Prof to deliver him from the hands of the Federal Government.

We thank God Chief has since recovered and now taking some well deserved rest in line with the Doctor’s advice. He has promised to visit MNK by Monday, 13th March, 2023, as he has always done. He will do this with Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, another senior Counsel in the unshakeable formidable legal team.

It would be recalled that Nnamdi Kanu was brought in by the Federal Government in June 2022 to face trial on 13 count charges. However, with the help of his legal team led by Ozekhome, charges have been quashed leading to his release by the courts. However, the government is still holding him prisoner in contravention of court judgment.