By Anyi Kings
Published On The Biafra Post
July 28, 2026
Analysis: IPOB Legal Representation Dispute Deepens as Kanu's Letter and IPOB Counter-Appointments Fuel Fresh Controversy
A fresh legal and leadership controversy has emerged within the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), following the circulation of a letter purportedly signed by the detained and convicted IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, terminating the legal services of Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor and appointing new legal representatives.
The development has, however, been met with a swift response from IPOB's current leadership under the Directorate of State (DOS), which issued a separate letter reaffirming Barrister Ejiofor's appointment as one of the organization's legal representatives.
The conflicting documents have intensified the long-running debate over authority, leadership, and legal representation within the movement.
Kanu's Letter Seeks to End Ejiofor's Retainer
The document attributed to Kanu informed Barrister Ejiofor that his legal retainer had been terminated and directed him to cease representing IPOB or acting on its behalf.
The letter further instructed him to surrender documents and refrain from presenting himself as counsel to the organization.
Its publication was widely reported across several media platforms, generating public discussion over whether Kanu, while in custody, retained the authority to alter IPOB's legal structure.
IPOB Leadership Responds with Reaffirmation
Within hours, IPOB's Directorate of State released an official communication reaffirming Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor's appointment.
Signed by the Head of the Directorate of State, Mazi Chikadibia Edoziem, the letter maintained that Ejiofor remains among IPOB's recognized legal representatives and continues to act on behalf of the organization.
The response effectively rejected the purported termination and underscored the Directorate's position that it exercises the organization's administrative authority.
Ejiofor: "I Withdrew From Kanu's Personal Representation in 2023"
Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor subsequently issued a detailed public statement dated 28 July 2026, seeking to clarify the legal relationship.
According to him, he personally disengaged from representing Nnamdi Kanu in December 2023, long before Kanu's conviction and life sentence.
He stressed that since that time, he has not acted as Kanu's private lawyer, family lawyer, or personal counsel in any capacity.
Instead, he stated that his law firm has remained under a continuous professional retainer as solicitors to IPOB itself.
Ejiofor further stated that during that period his legal team successfully secured the discharge and acquittal of more than 200 persons alleged to be IPOB members in courts across Abuja, Ebonyi State and Abia State.
He argued that those court records are matters of public record.
Question Over Legal Authority
A central issue raised by Ejiofor concerns the legal status of communications originating from correctional facilities.
He pointed to the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, arguing that communications purportedly issued by inmates should pass through official authentication procedures by prison authorities before being regarded as properly verified.
Without making a definitive legal conclusion on the authenticity or validity of the circulated letter, Ejiofor cautioned lawyers, journalists and the public against accepting prison communications at face value without considering the applicable legal and administrative procedures governing inmate correspondence.
Two Different Legal Relationships
Ejiofor's clarification also distinguishes between two separate legal relationships:
His former role as Nnamdi Kanu's personal lawyer, from which he says he voluntarily withdrew in December 2023.
His continuing appointment as legal counsel to IPOB, which he says is based on an institutional mandate independent of Kanu's personal legal affairs.
He further argued that this institutional retainer "cannot be retrospectively altered" by a former leader.
The Broader Significance
The exchange reflects broader disagreements over authority within IPOB.
On one side is the letter attributed to Nnamdi Kanu seeking to terminate Ejiofor's services.
On the other is the Directorate of State maintaining that the organization's legal appointments remain valid and continue under its authority.
Whether the competing appointments have legal effect may ultimately depend on the applicable governing documents of IPOB, the scope of authority vested in its leadership structures, and any relevant legal requirements concerning communications issued from correctional custody.
For now, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor maintains that he ceased representing Nnamdi Kanu personally nearly three years ago and continues to act solely under a professional mandate from IPOB's current leadership, while the organization itself has publicly reaffirmed that appointment.
Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor Barrister Aloy Ejimakor Lolo Nneka Chimezie Radio Biafra Biafra TV
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