Jailed ex-Abia Governor, Orji Kalu, released from prison

Following a Lagos court judgment, jailed former Abia State Gov. Orji Uzor Kalu, was on Wednesday night released from Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

The convicted governor was released about 7.30pm. adorned with his facemask, Persecondnews reports.

Kalu was serving a 12-year sentence at the facility following his conviction in December 2019 for N7.1 billion fraud alongside his firm — Slok Nigeria Ltd.

A former State Director of Finance attached to the Abia Government House, Jones Udeogu, is also serving his term.

Kalu, who was governor from 1999 to 2007, was tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He got elected into Senate in February 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after he defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on the eve of the election.

Justice Mohammad Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the release of Kalu on Tuesday following a Supreme Court ruling which declared his conviction by an Abuja court judge who was already elevated to higher bench as illegal and ordered his retrial.

Kalu had headed for the court to compel the prison authorities to release him.