A prominent Northern leader, Dr. Bashir Lamido has welcomed the Appeal Court ruling upholding the decision of the Federal High Court dismissing the retrial of a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Lamido in a chat with newsmen in Yola described the continuous trial as unfair saying: “The ill treatment is unacceptable and unfair to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.”

Lamido described the lingering trial as unfair and an act of intimidation against Kalu— who is now the lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

“Senator Kalu is someone that is well-loved and known globally as a billionaire businessman. It is surprising hearing that he is been tried for a mere N7 billion. We all know what transpired between him and Obasanjo and the failed third term agenda. We know those that destroyed the third term agenda and what happened after they denied Obasanjo his agenda. He went after them with the EFCC. Some people benefited from it using it as a tool to witch-hunt Kalu especially ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

“Kalu is a lovable soul across board. He lives across the six geopolitical zones. So, I feel it was a bit unfair especially the ill-treatment meted out against him. This case has lingered for too long and it’s time for those behind the ordeal to apologise to him and move on. For a man who stood against 19 witnesses of the Federal Government and was never implicated by any of the witnesses to still get jailed is only but a calculated attempt of political destruction.”

In September 2021, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Inyang Ekwo, barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from retrying Mr Kalu, who was earlier convicted of N7.1 billion fraud.

Mr Kalu, a serving senator representing Abia North, was already serving a 12-year jail term for the offences when the Supreme Court, on 8 May 2020, set aside the proceedings leading to his and his co-defendants’ conviction.

The Supreme Court’s judgement delivered on an appeal by Mr Kalu’s co-defendant, Ude Udeogu, had ordered a retrial at the Federal High Court.

Mr Kalu went on to secure his release from prison based on the Supreme Court’s verdict but quickly applied to the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop his retrial.

In his decision on the issue, Mr Ekwo held that the Supreme Court’s judgement did not order the retrial of Mr Kalu.

The judge cited section 36 (9) of the Nigerian constitution and Section 238 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), in saying, “no person can be retried on the offense upon which he has been convicted.

However, the defiant EFCC through its lawyer, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, approached the appellate court to have Mr Ekwo’s decision nullified.

Mr Kalu was tried based on amended 39 counts in which they were accused of stealing and mismanaging funds belonging to Abia State during his days as governor between 1999 and 2007. The EFCC had 19 witnesses against Kalu of which none implicated him but the judge still went ahead to pronounce judgement against the former governor.

Source: https://abntv.com.ng/news/efcc-ill-treatment-meted-out-to-orji-kalu-unfair-lamido/

AGIP

Kikikiki... Trying hard to sanctify himself.
Orji uzor can only deceive himself... The people know who he is

Did ouk steal Abia state funds?

“Senator Kalu is someone that is well-loved and known globally as a billionaire businessman. It is surprising hearing that he is been tried for a mere N7 billion.

SMH! And this one is part of those legislating against corrupt under this morbidly corrupt regime?

Yeruba efcc should take thire time we will not allow them to intimate our son they should go and arrest buhari and his fulani people or the efcc chairman na coward is he too scared to arrest any fulani or he want use igbo to tell his brother tinubu that his working.
Why any want to use igbo to tell their master that they are working that madness most stop tho I blame igbo politicians who allow it

A crook hiring image launderers,

Kalu Uzor Kalu is a crook, Theodore Orji same, Ikpeazu the same.

kk

EFCC de ment

Metrix147:

Source: https://abntv.com.ng/news/efcc-ill-treatment-meted-out-to-orji-kalu-unfair-lamido/

COMRADES, nonsense talk

Abia has just got it right with Alex Otti.

Seems bankers know Governance... Peter Obi, and Alex Otti for example

Corrupts Nigerian politicians love themselves irrespective of party, religion and tribe

Game of power

This one has collected brown envelope ✉️

They called 7Billion Naira...a mere...this country is gone.

Zulu11zulu:
Yeruba efcc should take thire time we will not allow them to intimate our son they should go and arrest buhari and his fulani people or the efcc chairman na coward is he too scared to arrest any fulani or he want use igbo to tell his brother tinubu that his working.
Why any want to use igbo to tell their master that they are working that madness most stop tho I blame igbo politicians who allow it

Leave tribal game, call a spade a spade. theif is thief, criminal is criminal

Oga abeg shut up and please tell that your criminal friend to return Abia State money that he stole.

You must be a Criminal to defend a Criminal.

Some people re ready to die to defend a thief..Nigeria is just not ready for betterment.. If e better for you, just stay low key and enjoy..

Lamido should go and sit down
OUK is a thief and should be in jail.
His only luck his that He pallys with the club APC,the club of big thieves.

Nigerians don't know what hit them with this APC calamity.

If You are a legit hustling average financial place holder in the Nigerian system and You support Apc, there's no way You can claim not to be an HOPELESS ZOMBIE.
Apc is the greatest threat to your survival as a legit hustling average earner in Nigeria,You can't see this reality bcus You have signed till death do You part with Zombie ooo zombiesm

Diswan that wanted to be senate president but Tinubu gave him an upper cut. If not that Tinubu promised Akpabio the position when he stepped down for him during the primaries, OUK would have been the senate president by now

Why are all northern criminal politicians on trial? Why is former aviation minister who rented an Ethopian airplane, and passed it as a Nigeria air after telling us Nigeria has acquired its first airline.
Why are all of the EFCC bosses not on trial, particularly the recent past one who is the worse in the history of that country.

That country is better of splitting up.

It is surprising hearing that he is been tried for a mere N7 billion.

So N7Bn is now mere?

When the owner of the farm is slow in shouting “Thief, the thief will then hold the farmer and call him a thief.

Me just dey observe

Court wey them dey buy.

Na 7 billion dis werey call mere? Thunder fire your blokos

Elite for the elite. You loot and don't want to be held accountable. Shame of a country. That's why we are where we are.

EnglandAmaka:
Abia has just got it right with Alex Otti.

Seems bankers know Governance... Peter Obi, and Alex Otti for example

Which Obi is a banker ? Heard he is a business fraudster! I know Alex Otti worked for diamond bank. But Obi

derecho:
Kikikiki... Trying hard to sanctify himself.
Orji uzor can only deceive himself... The people know who he is

Kakakaka

SadiqBabaSani:
A crook hiring image launderers,

Kalu Uzor Kalu is a crook, Theodore Orji same, Ikpeazu the same.

What of The Apga Judas Gringory Obi?