The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Friday, said its American counsel, Bruce Fein cannot decide Nnamdi Kanu’s legal team in Nigeria.
IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, said Fein has no authority to decide Kanu’s choice of lawyer.
Fein had written to one of Kanu’s frontline lawyers, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, urging him to immediately refrain from becoming an IPOB leader.
The United States lawyer said Ejiofor was not eligible to defend Kanu against the Nigerian Government’s amended charges.
Giving his reasons, Fein cited a pending lawsuit instituted by a businessman against Ejiofor over an alleged fraud of N5.6 million.
According to him, Ejiofor had a case to answer, insisting that the allegations were not concocted by the Nigerian Government.
However, Powerful faulted the claims of Fein, who he accused of being compromised.
In a statement he signed, Powerful alleged that some people working against Nnamdi Kanu had compromised Fein, hence such claims against Ejiofor.
According to Powerful: “Following the recent publication by Sahara Reporters, purporting a demand letter by Mr. Bruce Fein, we the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of our great Leader, Mazi Nnamdi KANU wish to categorically make it known to the public that Mr. Bruce Fein has no authority whatever to decide or make a pronouncement on the choice/status of neither the legal team of our Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu nor of the IPOB Lead Counsel.
“Mr. Bruce Fein should recall that he wasn’t in the first place appointed Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s International Spokesperson/Legal Representative by this trailblazing IPOB Lead Counsel – Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq whom he today, is trying to castigate and defame because of little token of fifty thousand dollars offered to him every trip he made to Nigeria by these infamous Umuada highways in the USA and that thing in Finland claiming to be an unfortunate disciple.
“We are baffled that Mr Bruce Fein could belittle himself and reduce himself to allowing them to deceive him by talking like a demented fellow. How could a well intelligent and professional lawyer be using this kind of word on his fellow lawyer in the world?
“The women in America sent Bruce Fein to Abuja to persuade our Leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU to order him and women to inaugurate a government in exile which when this aberration failed to materialise as it is unconscionable to be contemplating forming a Biafran govt in exile when our Leader is in the hand of our enemies. After this unsuccessful move to set up a govt in exile the grudges against Sir Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor began to take form.
“These traitors in America and infiltrators in Finland thought that our Legal Representatives were the ones who stopped their gimmicks and antics, without knowing that IPOB has surpassed the Government in exile.
“The powers conferred on Mr. Bruce Fein by our Leader vide the IPOB Lead Counsel is to be exclusively exercised in the United States of America and other foreign jurisdiction, with the exclusion of Nigeria.
“Pertinent to note is the fact that Mr. Bruce Fein set his feet in Nigeria shortly after the abduction and extraordinary rendition of our Leader vide the invitation letter extended to him by our Lead Counsel – Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, which visa issued in respect thereof still subsist till date.
“Several attempts to visit our Leader either in Court or the DSS facility by Mr. Bruce Fein were all rebuffed by both the DSS and the Court, respectively. All formal correspondences towards making those visits feasible were exclusively handled by the IPOB Lead Counsel.
“We, however, observed that Mr. Bruce Fein started avoiding our Lead Counsel after our Lead Counsel declined to cooperate with him in getting our Leader to sign a totally strange document that could have negatively impacted on the status quo.
“From that moment, Mr. Bruce Fein pitched a tent with sworn enemies and detractors of our struggle. No wonder he is today, ranting from a foreign land.”
Powerful urged the public to disregard Fein’s claims, pointing out that they are baseless.
He added: “The general public is hereby, respectfully urged to disregard Mr. Bruce Fein’s claims as they are baseless because he is being induced into ranting these infamous statements. We reiterate that the IPOB leadership have implicit and unshaken confidence in our erudite teams of lawyers, who have creditably distinguished themselves as sound and indefatigable advocates.
“Mr. Bruce Fein is advised to focus on the international briefs provided to him to handle on behalf of our Leader, which we have not seen any tangible results since he started handling them in the USA and desist forthwith from further defaming our amiable Legal Luminary. IPOB appreciates and loves his commitment and focus in handling our Leader’s and our case.
“The IPOB Lead Counsel has since taken to Court, the authors of the libelous publication, upon whose original defamatory publication Mr. Bruce Fein relied on.
“We, therefore, appeal for calm while the Court decides. Let good conscience and wise counsel prevail.
“Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor led a team of lawyers who worked relentlessly for the release of our Leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU in 2017 until he was granted bail. So Bruce Fein should ask questions if he doesn’t know about that. “
