BREAKING: No Freedom Yet For Kalu, As EFCC Moves For Immediate Retrial

It appears the freedom for Orji Uzor Kalu, Abia North senate representative, is still a far cry as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC gets set for an immediate retrial of the case.

The supreme court threw away the former governor’s conviction by Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday for lack of jurisdiction.

Kalu had been sentenced to 12 years in jail before the apex court nullified his conviction and issued an order of fresh trial.

Hours after the supreme court’s decision, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesman, in a statement, said the anti-graft agency will begin immediately the prosecution of the Abia senator, describing the judgment as a technical ambush against the trial.

The statement reads: ”The attention of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to the judgment of the Supreme Court nullifying the trial of a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu , his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and Jones Udeogu, a former Director of Finance and Account of Abia State Government and ordering their fresh trial at the lower court.

”The apex 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 judgment which it considered as illegal.

”The EFCC considers the judgment of the apex court as quite unfortunate . It is a technical ambush against the trial of the former governor.

”The Commission is prepared for a fresh and immediate trial of the case because its evidences against Kalu and others are overwhelming. The corruption charges against Kalu still subsist because the Supreme Court did not acquit him of them. The entire prosecutorial machinery of the EFCC would be launched in a fresh trial where justice is bound to be served in due course.”