Supreme Court of Nigeria has nullified the judgment which convicted the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu.
On April 24, 2019, Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos had sentenced Senator Kalu to 12 years imprisonment.
The Judge also sentenced Ude Udeogu, a former Director of Finance and Account at the Abia State Government House to 10 years imprisonment, which have now been set aside by a seven-man panel of the apex court.
The Supreme Court gave the new judgement on Friday, more than a year after both men were convicted of corruption allegations levelled against them by the Federal Government.
Kalu was convicted on a 39 count charge of N7.2 billion fraud and money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Displeased with the judgement of the Federal High Court on 2019, Kalu and Udeogu filed an appeal to challenge their sentencing at the Supreme Court.
The apex court, in a unanimous verdict on the appeal delivered by Justice Ejembi Eko, has now declared that the conviction of the appellants was null and void.
Justice Eko explained that the declaration was on the ground that Justice Mohammed Idris was already a Justice of the Court of Appeal, as at the time he delivered the judgment sentencing the appellants.
He held that a Justice of the Court of Appeal cannot operate as a judge of the Federal High Court.
The apex court, therefore, ordered the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign the case for fresh trial.
