Orji Kalu wins again as court orders his release from jail

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday ordered the release of a former governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
Justice Mohammed Liman ordered Senator Kalu’s release on Tuesday morning after listening to an application filed by Kalu had urged the court to set aside his conviction on December 5, 2019, by Justice Mohammed Idris.
He explained that this became necessary since the Supreme Court, in its verdict delivered on May 8, 2020, held that Justice Idris gave the judgment without jurisdiction.
The apex court had nullified the convictions of the former governor of Abia State, the judgement against his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and Jones Udeogu, a former Director of Finance and Account of Abia State Government.
The apex court had ordered their fresh trial at the lower court.
Dele Oyewale, EFCC Head, Media & Publicity, in a statement had noted that the court based its verdict on the grounds that Justice Mohammed Idris, who convicted Kalu and others had been elevated to the Court of Appeal before the judgment and returned to the lower court to deliver the judgement which it considered illegal.