I Have No Regrets Spending 6 Months In Jail – Orji Kalu

Senator representing Abia North, Orji Kalu, has said he does not regret spending six months in prison following his 2019 conviction, describing the experience as a period of learning that made him more humble and changed his outlook on life.

Kalu made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, reflecting on his imprisonment and the judicial process that led to his release.

In December 2019, a Federal High Court in Lagos convicted the former Abia State governor on a 39-count charge and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

However, on May 8, 2020, the Supreme Court nullified the conviction, ruling that the trial judge, Mohammed Idris, lacked the jurisdiction to deliver the judgment after his elevation to the Court of Appeal.

The apex court ordered a fresh trial, leading to Kalu’s release from Kuje Correctional Centre after he had spent about six months in custody.

Speaking about the experience, Kalu acknowledged concerns about the judiciary but maintained that there were still judges across the different levels of the court system who upheld 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.

He added that he had no regrets about his time in prison, saying the experience taught him valuable lessons.

“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 took away from the experience, the senator said his time in custody made him more humble and gave him a different understanding 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.

On whether he believed the conviction was justified, Kalu disagreed with the court’s decision but said he preferred not to revisit 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.

The senator also advised Nigerians who feel aggrieved by rulings of lower courts to pursue appeals rather than publicly challenge judicial decisions.

According to him, the appellate process provides an opportunity for dissatisfied litigants to seek redress through higher courts.

“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.