More drama ensued after judgement was delivered, the Senator pleaded with prison officers not to handcuff him
A sitting Senator and former governor of the South Eastern State of Abia in Nigeria, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for corruption. The Senator was sentenced by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos. As the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Idris read out his judgement, tears could be seen in the eyes of Kalu who dabbed them away with a white handkerchief.
More drama ensued after judgement was delivered, the Senator pleaded with prison officers not to handcuff him. “Where are you taking us now? Please don’t handcuff me,” he pleaded.
Kalu was convicted on all 39 counts filed against him and Udeh Jones Udeogu, by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC. Udeogu was the Director of Finance in Abia when Kalu was governor of the State. Justice Idris also ordered the liquidation of Slok Limited, the company that Kalu used in siphoning about $20 million dollars, money belonging to Abia State. The court also ordered the assets of Slok to be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Kalu being led away to prison