Orji Uzor Kalu loses his quest for bail as court rules he must remain in custody until his appeal is heard

SENATE chief whip and former Abia State governor Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has had his request for post-conviction bail turned down by the federal high court in Lagos when a judge ruled that he must remain in custody until his appeal is heard.

On December 5, Senator Kalu was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of N7.1bn fraud during his tenure as governor. Senator Kalu, who has since been taken to the prison said filed an appeal against his conviction and then sought be released on bail while the appeal was pending, claiming that since the offences he was convicted for were bailable, the court should free him.

In his appeal, he also stressed that as the chief whip of the senate and the senator representing Abia North Senatorial District the interest of his constituents would be in jeopardy if he was kept behind bars. Also, Senator Kalu said he requires medical attention and needs to be free to consult his herbalist and native doctor to receive treatment.

Today, however, Justice Mohammad Liman rejected the appeal for bail, ruling that Senator Kalu is to remain in correctional services custody until his appeal is heard. Senator Kalu is serving his term at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre, Lagos after he was sentenced alongside Udeh Udeogu, a director of finance and accounts at the Abia State Government House when he was governor.