The report reaching THE DAILY VENDOR has it that the former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu has regained freedom after the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday quashed the judgment that convicted and sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment.
According to the report, the apex court, had in a unanimous decision by a seven-man panel of Justices held that the Federal High Court in Lagos acted without jurisdiction when it convicted the former governor, his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and a former Director of Finance in Abia State, Jones Udeogu.
It was gathered that the apex court held that the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris was no longer a Federal High Court Judge as at the time he sat and delivered the judgment that convicted Kalu and his co-defendants for alleged N7.65 billion fraud.
THE DAILY VENDOR recalls that the former governor was convicted on Thursday, December 5, 2019 by the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison for allegedly stealing N7.65 billion from the Abia State government treasury.
But the Supreme Court Friday said Justice Idris, having been elevated to the Court of Appeal before the time, lacked the powers to return to sit as a High Court Judge.
The apex court however vacated the judgment, but ordered a fresh trial of the defendants.
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