The Federal Government has indicated plans to sanction Aloy Ejimakor, the lead counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, for participating in the ongoing #FreeNnamdiKanu protests.
This was disclosed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Onanuga criticized Ejimakor’s involvement in the protest, describing it as “unprofessional and ignorant of legal ethics.”
According to Onanuga, a lawyer representing a client in an ongoing case should not join public demonstrations related to the same matter.
“Mr. Ejimakor has been given ample time to defend his client in court but has failed to make tangible progress. Instead, he has resorted to protests, which undermine the judicial process,” Onanuga said.
The protests, which began earlier this week in Abuja and several parts of Southeast Nigeria, called for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021 on charges bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism. Supporters of the IPOB leader argue that his continued detention violates court orders and his fundamental human rights.
However, government officials maintain that the judicial process must take its full course, warning that any form of public agitation could jeopardize national security and disrupt public peace.
Legal analysts have expressed mixed reactions to the development. Some argue that sanctioning a lawyer for participating in a peaceful protest could raise concerns about freedom of expression, while others insist that legal practitioners must maintain professional boundaries when representing clients in politically sensitive cases.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
