*Beware of criminals raising funds in my name, Ozekhome warns
IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Following the recent complaint by the DSS that it lacked funds to feed Nnamdi Kanu, the family of the IPOB leader has raised N1 million for his feeding while in detention at the facility of the Department of State Services, DSS, Abuja.
Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel stated that Kanu’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, would hand over the money to the DSS, for the IPOB leader's feeding.
While lamenting that the Federal Government is unable to feed Kanu who has been in its custody, Emmanuel noted that he would raise more funds for his brother's feeding.
“This is a confirmed story. On Thursday, when we visited Kanu, he had not had any food.
“I asked them (DSS) why? They said that there is no money for his regular meal and that they don’t have any money.
“So, we have also explained everything to the SAN, Mike Ozekhome.
“By today, SAN will prepare a cheque of N1m to be handed over to the DSS for his feeding.
“I will also make sure I raise money and take to the DSS along with me to make sure he has enough food to eat since the federal government can’t take care of him,” he said in a statement.
After Emmanuel visited Kanu in the company of his lawyers, Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Aloy Ejimakor last week, the Special Counsel to the IPOB leader, Aloy Ejimakor announced at Kanu's direction that the DSS denied his client food for lack of funds and also failed to give Kanu his medication for 9 days.
I did not send anyone - Ozekhome
Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
Lead counsel to the IPOB leader, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) has said that he or his chambers have not authorized any person, group, or corporate authority to solicit funds on their behalf for the prosecution of Kanu's cases or any other purpose.
He warned that anyone giving money in his or his Chambers' name for the said purposes does so at their own risk.
Ozekhome said that the clarification became necessary because criminals are illegally using his name and that of his Chambers to ask for funds allegedly meant to prosecute Kanu's cases.
He explained that his major interest in Kanu's legal matter is to get him released from detention and not for the sake of monetary gains.
Daily Post reports that in a statement signed by him on Friday, Ozekhome alleged that the criminals who are soliciting funds on his behalf are government-sponsored agents out to blackmail Kanu’s legal team which he leads, and warned that he would take legal action against any group or individual caught asking for funds in his name or that of his Chambers and even the donors.
Ozekhome called on security operatives to go after the alleged criminals to arrest them and bring them to justice.
The statement read in part, “My attention has been drawn to the criminal and unauthorized use of my name and that of my Chambers in the social media and other platforms by unscrupulous societal miscreants and criminal elements in
soliciting funds allegedly for the prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu’s cases that we are presently handling.
“The general public is hereby alerted that, I as the lead counsel for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader and founder of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, my Chambers, have never and will never in any way, authorize anyone, whether as an individual, group of persons, corporate bodies or authorities, to solicit for funds for me or on my behalf or on behalf of my Chambers to prosecute cases for Nnamdi Kanu or any other purpose.
“Anyone giving out money on my behalf or in my name or Chambers’s name allegedly for the prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu does so at his or her own risk and peril.
” Neither, I as the lead counsel to Nnamdi Kanu nor anyone else working with me in my team on the matters will ever approach anyone or donors, nor corporate bodies, local or international, either through social media or by any other channel howsoever, to solicit for funds for the prosecution of the Nnamdi Kanu’s cases under any guise
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