EFCC set to drag Nigeria’s Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu, back to court again over N7.56 bn allegation, compiles 800 new cases for prosecution

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to resume the prosecution of Nigeria’s Chief Whip in the Senate of the National Assembly, and former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, for allegations of corruption while in office as governor.

The Nigeria’s Senate Chief Whip, Kalu, was convicted by a Federal High Court in December 2019, after 12 years at trial, of misappropriation of N7.56 billion belonging to Abia State government and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by the court. The court also sentenced Ude Udeogu, Director of Finance in the Abia State Government House in the Orji Kalu administration to 10 years imprisonment.

The Supreme Court, however, on Friday, May 8, annulled the judgment of the Federal High Court on technical ground, not on substantive case, and ordered a re-trial.

Justice Ejembi Eko, delivering the unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court, declared that the judgment of the Federal High Court was nullity on the ground that Justice Mohammed Idris, who delivered the judgment, was already sworn in as a Justice of the Court of Appeal at the time and so could not act in the capacity of a judge of the High Court.

The EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, had at the special weekly briefing organized by the Presidential communication team in Abuja on Thursday, disclosed that the commission is going back to court on the suit against the Senate Chief Whip.

Abdulrasheed Bawa further revealed that the EFCC would be filing 800 new corruption cases in court. He explained that the new cases are concentrated on public corruption and cybercrime, noting that the cases were delayed largely because of the judiciary workers strike which shut down courts in Nigeria for over two months, but suspended earlier this week.

Abdulrasheed Bawa also recalled the case of the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Madueke, on the alleged involvement of the minister in the laundering of about $37 million into real estate.

The EFCC chairman had earlier narrated how $27 million cash was conveyed from the minister’s residence to pay for the real estate in collaboration with the managing director of a bank. Bawa, however, that the commission’s investigation did nor indict any current minister in the Buhari administration.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had, thereafter, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of shielding his party members from corruption probes or prosecution, berating the president for pampering looters of the national treasury and letting corrupt public officers go freely after indictment.