The legal team of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Tuesday, said the Chukwuma Machukwu Ume, SAN, was not a member of the legal team of IPOB.
The IPOB’s lead counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, made this known to newsmen in Owerri, while reacting to a report mentioning Ume, as a member of the IPOB legal team.
He described such reports as false and injurious information. He clarified that Ume was only introduced to a case pending at the Court of Appeal, Abuja and that it has nothing to do with the ongoing criminal trial before the honourable Justice Binta Nyako at the Federal High Court, Abuja, adding that they were two different cases.
However, he said for anybody to be a member of the IPOB legal team, it would have the approval from himself, Ejiofor, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mike Ozekhome, based on the instructions from the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
He explained that “Our attention has just been drawn tonight to the false and injurious misinformation making the rounds, especially in the social media to the effect that Chief Chukwuma Machukwu Ume, SAN, has been included in the legal team defending our indefatigable client, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in the 15-count Amended Charge preferred against him at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“This piece of misinformation has generated needless hoopla and effusive commentary of a diverse nature making it expedient for me to say a few words by way of urgent clarification.
“Firstly, I say straight away that the information, in all respects and fact, is gross misinformation. No SAN, apart from Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is in the legal team defending Onyendu in the aforesaid pending criminal matter.
“Onyendu Nnamdi Kanu picked Chief Ozekhome by himself as soon as he was renditioned back to Nigeria from Kenya on 29th June 2021, from where he was crudely ambushed and abducted like a common criminal in which he is not.
“Secondly, Chief Chukwuma Machukwu Ume, SAN, on the instruction of Onyendu, was only introduced into the already existing IPOB legal team, ably headed by my good self, to prosecute a pending appeal challenging the prosecution of IPOB.
“This has nothing whatsoever to do with the defence of Onyendu in the ongoing criminal trial before the honourable Justice Binta Nyako at the Federal High Court, Abuja. The appeal in which Machukwu is involved is pending at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division. This appeal and the 15-count Amended Charge currently pending before the Federal High Court, Abuja, are therefore entirely two different cases.”
“Thirdly, any instruction to engage any lawyer whatsoever to join in the legal team representing either Onyendu or IPOB in cases pending in court must come from Onyendu himself as he did of Chief Ozekhome. It can never come from any other person howsoever and whomsoever. Onyewu has been particularly enthused by and appreciative of the depth, breadth and quality of advocacy so far demonstrated and deployed by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, in the conduct of his defence at the proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“Onyendu has implicit confidence in the present formidable legal team defending him. Accordingly, he has no need or desire to tinker with the idea, or even contemplate the possibility of engaging another senior lawyer in his defence, presently, or in the future. However, in the unlikely event of such future engagement, information to that effect must proceed either from my good self or from the revered and respected learned Silk, Chief Ozekhome, SAN, upon instructions from Onyendu,” IPOB said.
