Human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has demanded the immediate release of Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, following his arrest by the police during the #FreeNnamdiKanuProtest in Abuja.
Ejimakor, along with Fineboy Kanu — a relative of the IPOB leader — and several others, was reportedly apprehended by officers of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command during the protest on Monday.
Reacting to the arrests, Sowore took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday to condemn the action and warn the police against what he described as an “illegal detention.”
The activist threatened that the ‘entire crew’ would be moblised to the FCT command if Ejimakor and others in detention are not released.
He wrote: “The @FCT_PoliceNG is instructed to release Barrister @AloyEjimakor, Fineboy Kanu, and others illegally arrested, tortured, and currently being forced into detention over #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest immediately, or we will mobilize the entire crew now on the street to the FCT command and occupy their office!”
Earlier, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, called on legal regulatory bodies in Nigeria to sanction Ejimakor for participating in the ongoing #FreeNnamdiKanu protest.
According to the presidential aide, Ejimakor’s participation in the protest undermines legal ethics, given that Kanu’s case is still before a competent court.
“I spotted Aloy Ejimakor, one of Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers, among the small group of protesters mobilised in Abuja by Omoyele Sowore,” Onanuga wrote.
“I wonder what Mr. Ejimakor was thinking when he decided to join this shambolic protest. As a lawyer, he should be aware of the principle of sub judice, particularly in relation to the ongoing treason case before the court.”
Onanuga noted that the prosecution had already concluded its case and that it was now the duty of Kanu’s legal team to focus on presenting a strong defence rather than engaging in public demonstrations.
“Rather than focusing on preparing a strong case, Mr. Ejimakor has resorted to extra-legal tactics, joining a career anarchist to influence the process. Ejimakor’s action questions his adherence to professional ethics,” he said.
He urged the relevant legal authorities, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), to examine Ejimakor’s conduct and consider appropriate sanctions for what he described as “unethical behaviour.”
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