Court fixes June 2 for Orji Kalu’s application seeking release from prison
For a while now, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, the former Governor of Abia State who is now a current Senator has been going in and out of court for the alleged looting of N7.2billion belonging to Abia State while he was still the Governor of the State.
Kalu who was known for his record breaking success at an early age before joining politics in a bid to hold a political office which is a norm for every citizen in the world, either as a successful business man or woman, a successful movie or music legend with the aim of impacting lives through political offices or appointments.
Majority of this quest to hold a political office sometimes due to how concerned he or she is seeing the situation of the people, while this attempt bodes well for some and for some it invites envy and all forms of attacks from different angles and oppositions from contenders.
As politics is concerned such is expected and is no newer trend that a lot of politicians falls prey to such abuses and many victims of such circumstances comes to life whom may be innocent of all allegations and some may be guilty but in this situation Kalu is now a victim of looting as alleged and a Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed June 2 as a date to hear an application filed by Kalu, seeking his release from prison.
The motion on notice will be heard by Justice Mohammed Liman.
It has been reported that Kalu is currently serving a 12 years’ jail term at the Correctional Service Centre in Kuje, Abuja for allegedly looting #7.2billion belonging to Abia State.
Kalu was sentenced by Justice Mohammed Idris on Dec. 5, 2019, to 12 years’ imprisonment while his co-defendant, Jonnes Udeogu bagged 10 years’ jail term. For, second time term Kalu hired a 12man team of lawyers, including 6 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), to prosecute his freedom bid.
Kalu filed the motion on the 12th of May, 2020 asking the court to nullify his conviction. And following Udeogu’s appeal, the Supreme Court on May 8, 2020 held that the fiat issued by Justice Idris to conclude the trial of the defendants after he was elevated to the Court of Appeal was “a nullity”.
The apex Court had consequently, set aside the verdict of Idris “as it relates to (Udeogu’s) appellant”.
Udeogu’s freedom and retrial of his case had been ordered by the court. Kalu, is his new pending motion is contending that his continued incarceration has no legal basis following the Supreme Court’s judgement which declared his trial a nullity and freed Udeogu.
Though the motion is set to be heard on the 2 of June, 2020 next month to be precise.
By: Ayooluwa Joshua