On Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor’s revelation and the unfolding tragedy in Nnamdi Kanu’s case, by Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo

Press Release

I have read with keen attention and deep reflection the extensive statement issued by Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, former Lead Counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. His sober, detailed, and painfully honest account has confirmed what many of us particularly those familiar with high-stakes constitutional litigation have feared for years.

Sir Ejiofor’s account is not a personal lamentation; it is a forensic dissection of how a serious, internationally sensitive criminal trial descended into amateur theatrics, misinformation, and catastrophic mismanagement.

As someone who has repeatedly warned about the danger of turning a matter of life, liberty, and constitutional justice into a stage for Instagram performers, social media “legal consultants,” and content-hungry opportunists, I wholeheartedly agree:

If the old, competent, battle-tested legal team had been allowed to function without interference, the outcome of this case would have been entirely different.

Under Ejiofor and later Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, the legal team achieved monumental victories in multiple courts, the unprecedented Court of Appeal judgment of 2022,
sustained diplomatic engagements with international actors and strategic litigation that had positioned Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for a major breakthrough. These were not coincidences; they were the product of strategy, discipline, and mastery of criminal procedure.

It is, therefore, tragic indeed heartbreaking that all of this progress was upended because those who lacked the depth, experience, or maturity to handle such a delicate matter chose personal glory over professional responsibility, and content creation over legal strategy.

Sir Ejiofor rightly highlighted how: sensitive legal strategies were leaked to individuals with no understanding of high-level litigation; senior advocates and well-respected legal minds were pushed aside; the defence was fractured at the very moment unity was required; the trial was turned into a public circus instead of a carefully managed legal process; self-representation was encouraged in a matter that demanded structured, technical, and coordinated defence.

In criminal litigation, especially one involving national security, international law, and constitutional violations, every misstep is a weapon for the prosecution. Every careless public statement becomes a judicial landmine, and every contradiction reinforces the State’s case. This is exactly what happened.

The tragedy now confronting the nation and the grave injustice done to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a direct consequences of the negligence, inexperience, and harmful theatrics of those who hijacked the legal process.

If justice is to be restored, if this travesty is to be corrected, and if the struggle for fairness, liberty, and constitutional order is to be reclaimed, then:

1. The legal team must be rebuilt around professionalism, not popularity.
2. Senior advocates with track records must retake control of strategy.
3. All forms of social-media showmanship must be eliminated.
4. A unified, disciplined defence is urgently required.
5. International legal and diplomatic engagements must be revived.
   This is a time for competence, not confusion. A time for strategy, not selfies. A time for advocacy, not entertainment.

I unequivocally agree:
Had the old, experienced, coordinated team remained in charge, the trial outcome would not have been what we witnessed. Nigeria has lost not only time and opportunity but also a chance to uphold justice at a critical moment in our history.

The path forward demands humility, unity, professionalism, and a return to real lawyering.

The time for the circus is over.

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