A fresh controversy has erupted following a public protest in Abuja as Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has demanded disciplinary action against one of Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers, Aloy Ejimakor.
Ejimakor joined other activists, including Omoyele Sowore, in a demonstration on Monday calling for the release of Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who is facing trial for treasonable felony.
Onanuga, reacting to the development on social media, accused Ejimakor of professional misconduct, saying his participation in the protest violated the legal principle of sub judice, which bars public commentary or actions that could influence an ongoing court case.
“As a lawyer, he should be aware of the principle of sub judice,” Onanuga wrote. He criticized Ejimakor for what he described as “extra-legal tactics” and for “aligning with a career anarchist,” referring to Sowore, who helped organize the protest.
The presidential aide asserted that the lawyer’s conduct “questions his adherence to professional ethics” and urged the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to impose “appropriate sanctions” for his actions.
In a twist, Ejimakor later disclosed that he and other protesters were arrested and detained at an FCT police command station in Abuja, a development that has further deepened the controversy surrounding the protest and the broader debate over Kanu’s detention.