Ex-judge, three SANs, others behind plot to ‘neutralise’ Orji Kalu, group alleges

A socio-political organisation, Nigeria Renewal, has raised alarm over an alleged plot by some influential Nigerians to “politically neutralize’ former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu”. The group, in a statement by its President and Secretary-General, Ibrahim Rabo and Usman Mohammed respectively, accused a former Chief Judge (CJ) of the Federal High Court, (name withheld), three senior advocates, a former Director of Legal Services of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and some politicians of plot to “continue to harass and victimise Dr. Kalu, using the judiciary”.

The group alleged that the conspirators attended a meeting in 2016 in Abuja where it was agreed that Kalu must be dealt with “because of his rising profile”. The group also alleged that the scheme against the former Abia State governor is linked to “frustrate the quest of Ndigbo to produce the President in 2023. “In fact, the plan is to ensure that all presidential materials in the Southeast are politically neutralised to pave the way for a candidate from another geo-political zone in the south,” the group said.

According to the group, “The plan is also to put Kalu at loggerheads with President Muhammadu Buhari. You know the president will not lift his fingers to help anybody having issues with the judiciary. The way the matter is going, many people believe the president may have a hand in it but this is not true at all,” the group said. Nigeria Renewal declared that at the Abuja meeting, “it was agreed that everything should be done to remove Kalu from the political scene. Another prominent Igbo politician, who is a member of APC, believes he is untouchable in the race to 2023 but his own soup is being cooked already.

Nigerians will soon know the plot being hatched against him,” the statement added. The group also warned that the current plot against Kalu is also to deny Buhari the much-needed votes in the Southeast, given the fact that Kalu will play a major role in that regard. The statement lamented that the first move against Kalu was the transfer of his case before Justice (Mrs) J. Chikelu of the Federal High Court, Abuja to Justice Muhammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos. Justice Muhammed Idris has since been promoted to the Court of Appeal “but why he is still on the case, we don’t know”.

“That the matter was even transferred to Lagos is a surprise to us. Kalu was never governor of Lagos State. We are watching events as they unfold. On September 27, 2018, Justice Idris adjourned the matter sine die and the Chief Judge of Federal High Court transferred the case to Justice J. Aneke of the Lagos Division of the court. Instead of allowing Justice Aneke to continue with the case, Justice Idris has taken up the case again. This confusion has led to two Hearing Notices. How can the same person appear before Justices J. Aneke and Mohammed Idris in Lagos on the same day, November 5, 2018 at 9am with the same Suit No FHC/ABJ/CB/56/2007,” the group asked.

Nigeria Renewal therefore alleged that “the former Abia governor and a leading light of APC in Southeast in particular and Nigeria in general cannot get justice before him”

It would be recalled that Kalu, on October 30, 2018, wrote a letter to the President of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking a permission to travel for medical surgery in Germany. A copy was sent to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu. Kalu said, inter alia: “My Lord, I wish to travel to Germany for an urgent medical surgery operation which has been postponed many times because of this trial and which the trial court is aware of.

“This application is directed to you specifically because I was given the date for this medical surgery after the criminal matter against me was adjourned sine die on September 27, 2018.” Kalu also wrote: “Your Lordship will also remember that I had written to you stating my objections to my matter being continued before the said Judge who had since been elevated to the Court of Appeal. I, therefore, restate this objection and request that the case file of this matter be retrieved from him and re-assigned to a Judge of the Federal High Court”.