Final Judgement Opinion: Will Orji Uzor Kalu be going back to Prison?

In December 2019, the federal high court in Lagos sentenced Kalu to 12 years imprisonment after being found guilty on all the 39-count charges brought against him. He was convicted of N7.65billion fraud perpetrated during his tenure as Abia State governor between 1999 and 2007. Kalu was also convicted alongside his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and his former Abia State director of finance, Ude Udeogu. The court also ordered the forfeiture of all assets of his company to the federal government.

However, after spending six months in the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Centre, the Supreme Court in May nullified Kalu’s conviction. The court stated that Mohammed Idris, the trial judge, did not have jurisdiction to hear the matter since he had been elevated to the Court of Appeal.

To this effect, Kalu was released alongside his alleged accomplice, Udeogu. Interestingly, while in prison, his seat was not declared vacant by the Senate leadership hence, the Former Abia State governor resumed his position as the chief whip of the Nigerian Senate. Even so, amidst the support and sworn loyalty of the state caucus.  

To answer whether he would be heading back to jail, the Head of the EFCC’s Legal Department, Kabir Latona, announced that the former Abia State Governor should prepare to return to court. Latona revealed that as the Supreme court had recently returned him to the Federal High Court, he would soon be charged to stand trial for alleged diversion of his state resources when he was governor.

History is repeating itself with corrupt leaders recurrently on the biblical Prison to Pharaoh path. In this case, Kalu had been released to once again roam the halls of power, with a proper trial scheduled for a tomorrow that may never come.