Court Restrains EFCC From Re-Arraigning Orji Kalu

The Judge gave Kalu one week within which he shall make a submission to EFCC to challenge the legality of his retrial as earlier directed by High Court, while the next sitting has been adjoined to February 23, 2021. Oji Uzor Kalu is a former Governor of Abia state and is currently a serving Senator representing Abia North Senatorial district, and a chief whip.

The proposed re-arraignment though is coming 8 months after the Supreme Court set aside the judgement on May 8, 2020, of Justice Mohammed Idriss of the Federal High Court who convicted Kalu to twelve years in prison. The Apex Court declared as unconstitutional the Administration under which justice Idriss based his judgement in the provision of section 396(7) Act 2015 after he has been appointed into Supreme Court some days before he convicted Orji Kalu.

However, the re-arraignment of Orji Kalu, His Company, Slok Nig ltd and his lieutenant, and former aid, Jones Udeogu hit a brick wall last week Tuesday after EFCC demanded that they wanted to transfer the case to Lagos state where the crime was committed. Awa Kalu, (SAN) counsel to Orji Kalu pleaded with the court to accept the application of his client challenging the re-arraignment so that he will get away free without any charge.

He said, “That there is no extant ruling or judgment of a competent court in Nigeria ordering the retrial of the Applicant (Kalu) having regard to the fact that the Supreme Court excluded the Applicant from the explicit order for retrial arising from Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/56/07 F.R.N. vs Orji Uzor Kalu & 2 Ors,”.