The Court of Appeal in the Federal Capital Territory has prohibited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from retrial in the case of the former governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
Previously barred by a federal high court in Abuja in 2021, the EFCC had prosecuted Kalu on allegations of money laundering alongside Ude Udeogu and Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited.
Despite a 2020 Supreme Court order for a retrial, Kalu sought to prevent the commission from retrying him, citing double jeopardy. Justice Inyang Ekwo ruled that the Supreme Court did not explicitly order Kalu’s retrial.
The EFCC plans to challenge this decision at the Appeal Court, alleging a failure to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive. The Court of Appeal, however, struck out the appeal on Wednesday, citing procedural issues with the records of proceedings from the Federal High Court. The EFCC intends to refile the appeal for a merit-based consideration.
