Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel to IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, says he has faced threats and blackmail over his continued legal defence of Kanu.
He said the intimidation intensified after Kanu’s court victories against the Federal Government but vowed to keep fighting for justice.
Aloy Ejimakor, the Special Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), says he has been living under threats and facing blackmail because of his continued legal representation of the separatist leader.
Ejimakor, who has handled several high-profile cases involving Kanu since his controversial arrest and rendition in 2021, revealed that the pressure and intimidation against him intensified after Kanu secured key victories in court against the Nigerian government.
Kanu was arrested in Kenya in June 2021 and brought back to Nigeria under what his legal team described as an extraordinary rendition. Since then, several courts, including appellate and high courts, have discharged and acquitted him. However, the Federal Government has yet to release him from custody, a decision that has drawn criticism from human rights groups and international observers.
Speaking during a podcast hosted by Chief Chidi Nwanyanwu, Ejimakor disclosed that the hostility toward him became more intense after those victories. “I have been blackmailed and threatened for handling Nnamdi Kanu’s case,” he said. “Some of those blackmailing me have used the court victories we achieved to seek asylum in other countries. What greater evil can one imagine than that?”
He noted that his work on the case had taken a physical and emotional toll. “I have faced serious threats to my safety while handling these cases. I have aged fast since 2021, but I continue to work proudly and with faith,” he added.
Ejimakor also spoke about internal disputes among some IPOB supporters, saying that a few had questioned his role as Kanu’s lawyer despite clear authorization. “When I filed a petition to challenge the declaration of IPOB as a terrorist group, some accused me of not being their lawyer,” he said. “If Nnamdi Kanu briefs me and everyone knows it, then I am automatically an IPOB lawyer.”
He explained that even the Federal Government had occasionally used such internal disagreements to challenge his legal standing in court. “They sometimes try to discredit my right to file cases, but I always overcome them,” he stated.
Despite the challenges, Ejimakor reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing justice for Kanu, expressing confidence that truth and perseverance would eventually prevail.
