Court of Appeal stops EFCC from retrying former governor of Abia state Orji Kalu

 

Court of Appeal has stopped the Economic and financial crimes commission Efcc from retrying former Governor of Abia state Dr Orji Uzor kalu over alleged 7.1billion fraud.

Kalu was convicted by a federal high court in Lagos for fraud to the tune of 7.1 billion Naira and was convicted to 12 years in prison and was freed by the Supreme Court on the grounds that the Judge who convicted him has been promoted to an Appeal court judge and has no jurisdiction over the matter again.

 

The Supreme Court had in the lead verdict that was read by Justice Ejembi Eko, held that the trial High Court Judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, acted without jurisdiction when he convicted Kalu, his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and a former Director of Finance in Abia State, Jones Udeogu.

 

It noted that Justice Idris was no longer a judge of the Federal High Court as at December 5, 2019, when he sat and delivered the judgement that convicted the defendants for allegedly stealing about N7.1billion from Abia state treasury.