TheCable

The police have declared Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, wanted for the alleged murder of two policemen at his residence in Anambra state. 

There was a clash between the police and some suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) at Ejiofor’s home in Oraifite, on Monday.

The fracas also resulted in the death of at least two civilians.

John Abang, police commissioner for Anambra, made the declaration on Tuesday.

“I’ll like Nigerians to know that Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, a member of the proscribed IPOB, has been declared wanted,” he said.

“I’ll seek the cooperation of law-abiding Nigerians, East, West, North, and South that wherever they find this individual, they should report to the nearest police station for possible arrest and prosecution based on the rules and laws of Nigeria.”

But IPOB accused the police of attempting to assassinate Ejiofor and of setting is house on fire.

“The unprovoked Nigeria police and army invasion of the home of our lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, barely four days after the painful burial of his elder brother is proof that those running Nigeria have descended into the abyss of iniquity from which they may never recover,” the group said in a statement issued by Emma Powerful, its spokesman.

“Not even during the darkest days of Abacha’s dictatorship did anyone witness such brazen intimidation of a legal counsel or the attempted assassination of a defence counsel in a high profile case.

“It is the golden rule of every legal system under the sun that defence counsel are not harassed, intimidated or killed but it seems nothing is sacrosanct in the present circumstance.

“We don’t expect the roundly docile and cowardly Nigeria Bar Association or their impotent and subdued National Judicial Council to rise up in condemnation of this contemptuous behaviour by Aso Rock in this latest attempt to kill Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor.

“This level of dictatorial impunity against the rule of law, judicial process and natural justice must not be condoned by any right-thinking person.”