No Regrets Being Jailed, It Humbled Me – Orji Kalu

Orji Kalu, senator representing Abia North, says he has no regrets spending six months in jail following his conviction, describing the experience as an opportunity to learn and become more humble.

In December 2019, a federal high court in Lagos convicted Kalu on a 39-count charge and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

However, on May 8, 2020, the Supreme Court nullified the trial after ruling that the trial judge, Mohammed Idris, lacked jurisdiction to deliver the judgment because he had already been elevated to the Court of Appeal.

The apex court ordered a fresh trial, and Kalu was subsequently released from Kuje Correctional Centre after spending about six months in custody.

Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, the former Abia governor said although there were concerns about aspects of the judicial system, some judges across the high courts, court of appeal, and supreme court continued to uphold the law.

“In every twelve, there must be Judas. There are still some minds in the judiciary system, whether it’s Abuja high court, whether it’s federal high court, whether it’s court of appeal, and to the supreme court, people’s minds are still very sound,” he said.

“They still see the law where it’s supposed to be seen, so I have no regret being put in jail. I was very happy to God, and I learned a lot being there for six months.”

Asked what he learnt from the experience, Kalu said it made him more humble and changed his perception of life.

“It made me more humble. It made me to realise that life is not the same thing I used to think about. So I’m very grateful to God I was there. And I gave kudos to people that sent me there because it’s like going to school. And I graduated there, and I’m very happy I went there,” he said.

Asked whether he believed he was rightly convicted, the senator said he disagreed with the decision but did not want to dwell on the matter.

“No, it wasn’t the right thing to do. But I don’t like to discuss this because the judge had his reasons. When the judge did it, I praised him. I support all his decisions,” he said.

Kalu urged Nigerians dissatisfied with decisions of lower courts to seek redress at higher courts rather than publicly question judicial decisions.

He said the opportunity to appeal allows litigants to pursue justice through different levels of the judiciary.

“If a court has a jurisdiction to hear this, and you are not favoured there, move up, always till you’ll get to the last. You’ll get justice. Because one mind and three minds or five minds in the middle are better than one mind,” he said.