Former governor of Abia State Orji Uzor Kalu has been released from the Kuje correctional centre, six months after he was convicted of fraud while serving as governor of the south eastern state.
His release is in compliance with the order of Justice Mohammed Liman of the Lagos division of the federal high court issued on Tuesday.
The former governor had approached the court relying on the Supreme Court judgment in an appeal by his co-convict Jones Udeogu.
In the appeal decided in May, the Supreme Court had described the trial and conviction of the appellant as null and void on the grounds that the judge who gave the decision had been elevated to the court of appeal and as such lacked the constitutional jurisdiction to hear any pending case before a lower court.
Despite the judgment, Kalu was not released on the basis that he was not the appellant in the appeal that was decided by the apex court.
He had subsequently approached a federal high court in Lagos, invoking the decision of the apex court and arguing that he ought to be released.
Justice Liman on Tuesday granted his prayers. On Wednesday, his lawyers presented the warrant for his release to the Kuje correctional service for processing and action.
The public relations officer of the Nigerian correctional centre Augustine Njoku confirmed to AIT that the former governor was released Wednesday evening in compliance with the court order.
Kalu was convicted in December 2019 for laundering seven point five billion naira state funds while serving as governor of Abia state through his company Slok Nigeria limited between 1999 and 2007.
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The EFCC had expressed dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court nullification of Kalu’s conviction and vowed to re-arrest him and try him on same charges.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
