The Supreme Court of Nigeria has nullified the conviction of the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, and a former Director of Finance and Account at the Abia State Government House Ude Udeogu.
A seven-man panel of the apex court gave the verdict on Friday, more than a year after Kalu and Udeogu were convicted and jailed for corruption by Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Reading the unanimous verdict of the apex court, Justice Ejembi Eko, held that the conviction of the appellants was null and void because Justice Mohammed Idris was no longer a High Court judge when he delivered his judgment having be elevated to the Court of Appeal.
He added that a Justice of the Court of Appeal cannot operate as a judge of the Federal High Court and, therefore, ordered the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign the case for a fresh trial.
Dateline Nigeria reports that Justice Idris had in April last year sentenced Senator Kalu to 12 years and Mr Udeogu to 10 years in jail following a case levelled against the duo by the Federal Government.
Uzor Kalu was a serving Senator on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) when he was convicted at the High Court.
