The senator representing Abia North, Orji Kalu, has said his six-month imprisonment taught him valuable lessons and made him a more humble person.
Naija News reports that Kalu said he did not regret the experience, adding that it changed his perspective on life.
The former Governor of Abia State spoke on Monday during an interview on Arise Television.
“It made me more humble. It made me realise that life is not the same thing I used to think about. So I’m very grateful to God I was there,” he said.
He added, “And I gave kudos to people that sent me there because it’s like going to school. And I graduated there, and I’m very happy I went there.”
Kalu was convicted on a 39-count charge by a Federal High Court in Lagos in December 2019 and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The Supreme Court, however, quashed the conviction on May 8, 2020, ruling that the trial judge, Mohammed Idris, lacked jurisdiction to deliver the judgment after his elevation to the Court of Appeal.
The apex court ordered a retrial, and Kalu was released from the Kuje Correctional Centre after spending about six months in custody.
Asked whether his conviction was justified, the senator said it was not, but declined to dwell on the matter.
“No, it wasn’t the right thing to do. But I don’t like to discuss this because the judge had his reasons. When the judge did it, I praised him. I support all his decisions,” he said.
Kalu acknowledged the judiciary’s shortcomings but said judges still committed to justice.
He advised Nigerians dissatisfied with lower court judgments to appeal rather than publicly attack the courts, noting that higher courts offer litigants another chance at justice with more judges reviewing the cases.
