Court Rejects Orji Kalu's Move to Block EFCC's Appeal in N7.1bn Fraud Case

The legal troubles of former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, have deepened as the Court of Appeal in Abuja rejected his attempt to block the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from appealing a ruling that had earlier freed him from prosecution in an alleged N7.1 billion money laundering case.

The court, in a landmark ruling on Friday, dismissed Kalu's objections and cleared the path for the EFCC to continue its legal battle against him.

Kalu, along with his company Slok Nigeria Limited, had moved to stop the federal government from appealing the September 29, 2021 judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja that halted his trial.

However, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal rejected his objections, ruling that the March 6, 2024 judgment, which struck out an earlier appeal by the EFCC, did not address the core substance of the case.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Ishaq Sanni clarified that the March 6 ruling merely struck out the case on technical grounds, specifically, that the record of appeal was not properly certified. The court held that since this ruling came after the statutory three-month window for appeal, the federal government was within its rights to seek an extension of time to file a fresh appeal.

"The judgment of March 6 did not determine the substance of the appeal. The Court of Appeal remains competent to entertain a properly filed appeal," Justice Sanni ruled.

The court then issued an order extending the time for the EFCC to file a notice of appeal, instructing the agency to do so within 14 days.

This ruling means that Kalu's corruption case is far from over, as the EFCC now has the legal backing to reignite its battle to prosecute the former governor and his company, Slok Nigeria Limited.

With this latest court decision, the anti-corruption agency is now expected to refile its appeal and push for Kalu's retrial, a development that could have significant political and legal implications.

As the case unfolds, all eyes will be on the Federal Government, the EFCC, and Kalu's legal team as the battle over the alleged N7.1 billion fraud takes a new turn.

Stay tuned for more updates!

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