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 Nation reports

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”.

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