ORJI KALU: Former Governor to Court, "Dont Let EFCC try me in Lagos.

Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to prosecute him in Abuja. The ex-governor, who is facing trial alongside his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and a former Director of Finance in Abia State, Mr. Udeh Jones Udeogu, sought for an order of mandamus to stop the anti-graft agency from transferring his case file to Lagos.
In a motion ex parte he filed pursuant to order 34, Rule 1 [a] and 3 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure] Rules, 2009; and Section 6(6) (a) of the 1999 Constitution, Kalu applied for an order of mandamus compelling the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to remit Federal Republic of Nigeria Vs. Orji Uzor Kalu & 2Ors, which was transferred from the Abuja Division of the court to Lagos, back to Abuja for continuation of hearing. He cited the Attorney General of the Federation as the second respondent to the motion, which he filed through his legal team comprising five Senior Advocates of Nigeria, led by Chief Awa Kalu. The applicant further begged the court to suspend proceedings on the case against him, pending the determination of his motion. Attached to the suit were a supporting affidavit of 16 paragraphs and an affidavit of urgency deposed to by one Ikechukwu Njoku. Njoku averred that the trial of the applicant commenced in 2007 after he left office as governor of Abia State. Kalu and his co-accused persons are answering to a 34-count criminal charge bordering on alleged illegal diversion of N5.6 billion from Abia State treasury. EFCC alleged that the offence was perpetuated while Kalu held sway as governor of Abia State between 1999 and 2007.