IPOB fires Kanu’s lawyers over anti-Avengers comments

The Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has dropped his defence lawyers for disowning the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

IPOB said in a statement late on Friday in Abuja that the utterances of the defence lawyers on negotiation between Kanu and the Federal Government as well as on the Avengers were “made without consultation.”

“As a result of these unsolicited and unguarded utterances, the defence team has been sacked and will be replaced,” the group said in the statement by Emma Nmezu and Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya.

It added: “The IPOB leader wishes to state categorically that the only thing we are open to is negotiation that will lead to modalities and processes to restore Biafra and avert further hardships on the people of Nigeria who have been under bondage since his kidnapping and illegal detention.

“The Niger Delta Avengers arose because of the inherent injustice in Nigeria as manifested in the disregard to the rule of law when Buhari refused to obey court order to unconditionally release our leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

“We spoke the mind of our leader when we stated for record purposes that IPOB and Niger Delta Avengers share the same ideology of freedom for Biafra.

“Anybody publicly dissociating IPOB from Niger Delta Avengers is a mortal enemy of IPOB family worldwide under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu.

“Let it be known that as long as Buhari and Daura continue to tamper with Nnamdi Kanu’s defence team through bribery, inducements and intimidation, IPOB will keep on changing the team.

“For the records, the press conference by the now-sacked legal team was about bringing to public knowledge the foolishness of the Department of State Services (DSS) in bringing treasonable felony charges against our leader and the lack of evidence thereof.

“The press conference was NEVER about negotiations because should negotiations start, IPOB will notify the world about it. Right now, we are not negotiating and will not negotiate until existing court orders ordering the release of Nnamdi Kanu are obeyed.

“In the interim, Ifeanyi Ejiofor will continue to act as lead counsel until other counsels are appointed who will not sell their souls to the devil. Biafra or death!!!”

Kanu’s lawyers had disowned MEND and NDA for linking their own agitations to Kanu’s incarceration.

They said Kanu and IPOB had “no connection, contact, ties or any kind of relationship” with their members whatsoever.

The lawyers, Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Amoebi Nzelu expressed Kanu’s willingness to negotiate with the Federal Government, saying he was prepared to accept a political solution in line with his belief that he is a political prisoner of conscience.

Kanu and two of his associates – Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi (a Field Maintenance engineer with MTN) – are currently being held in Kuje prison, Abuja, following their arraignment before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Federal Government recently directed the release of some members of the group arrested in February this year during a protest rally.

On the claims that MEND was negotiating on behalf of Kanu and IPOB, the lawyer said: “Nnamdi Kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any kind of relationship with members of the MEND. As such, MEND has no implied, direct or express authority of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him or IPOB in any purported negotiation going on between MEND and the Federal Government.”

Responding to a question on whether Kanu would abandon his campaign for an independent state of Biafra in exchange for freedom, Nzelu said that his client would not jettison the agitation even if he was released.

He also said that Kanu has no ties with the Avengers.

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