Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Human rights lawyer and counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), at both state and national levels, to demand a transparent investigation into the brutal murder of Barrister Rolex Ifeanyi Iloakasia in Anambra State.
Iloakasia, an indigene of Aguleri community in Anambra State, was murdered on Thursday at Egbebelu village, Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area, on his way home after he had earlier secured the bail of an accused person in a pending murder case at High Court II, Ekwulobia.
In a statement released on Friday, Ejiofor said that the murder was not a random act of banditry, but a targeted execution, a chilling message to the legal community and a direct assault on the justice system.
He described the killing as part of a deeply troubling and increasingly familiar pattern, stating that lawyers in Anambra State are being systematically hunted, silenced, and killed with impunity.
“This is not just a threat to the legal profession, it is a grave danger to the very fabric of our democracy,” Ejiofor said.
He noted that the attack was not merely an assault on individuals, but an attack on the rule of law, due process, and the foundational values that hold Nigerian society together.
The full statement read: “I write with a heavy heart and burning indignation over the cold-blooded assassination of Barrister Rolex Ifeanyi Iloakasia, a respected colleague, President-General of the Aguleri community, and his client ,a brutal crime that occurred on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at the Nanka-Agulu boundary in Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State.
“According to credible reports (link), the late Barr. Iloakasia had just concluded a sensitive legal engagement in court and was returning with his client when they were ambushed by gunmen on a motorcycle.
“The attackers opened fire with lethal precision, killing both men on the spot. A third passenger narrowly escaped with injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment. This was no random act of banditry. It was a targeted execution — a chilling message to the legal community and a direct assault on the justice system itself.
“This heinous act fits an increasingly familiar and disturbing pattern: lawyers in Anambra State are being hunted, silenced, and killed with impunity. This is not just a threat to the legal profession — it is a grave danger to the very fabric of our democracy.
“Therefore, I call upon the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) — at both the state and national levels — to rise to this moment with decisive action:Demand a full-scale, transparent, and expedited investigation into the murder of Barr. Iloakasia and his client.
“The perpetrators must not escape justice. Declare a period of mourning. All legal professionals in Anambra should wear black armbands and suspend non-essential court appearances in solemn protest. Convene an emergency meeting with the Anambra State Government and security agencies to immediately implement protective measures for legal practitioners. Document and revisit all previous attacks on members of the Bar in Anambra State.
“We must insist on justice for every unresolved killing. Prepare for a statewide boycott of court proceedings if credible action is not initiated within a clearly defined timeline. Let it be known: We will not be intimidated into silence. Legal practitioners must never be forced to operate under the shadow of death. Today, it is Barr. Iloakasia. Tomorrow, it could be any of us.This is not just an attack on individuals — it is an attack on the rule of law, on due process, and on the values that hold our society together.
“To the family of the late Barr. Iloakasia, the Aguleri community, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the wider legal fraternity: I offer my deepest condolences. May their souls find peace, and may justice — swift, unwavering, and complete, be done. Silence is complicity. Injustice to one is injustice to all.”
