A coalition of civil society organizations has alleged plot
by some highly placed politicians to ensure that the federal government of
Nigeria grant pardon to convicted politicians.
The group in a statement read by Uche Okoroafor on Tuesday April
14, 2020, in Abuja, commended President Muhammadu Buhari , the Economic and
Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, and the Judiciary “for the renewed zeal in
the anti – corruption war which has led to the conviction of more high-profile
corrupt politicians in the country.
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“We particularly saluted the courage of the Justice Idris
led High Court in Lagos which slammed 12-year jail sentence on Senator Kalu
over alleged stealing of N7.6billiin while he was in office as Abia Governor”.
The group alleged that there is a fresh move by some
highly-placed politicians to quash the 12 -year jail sentence slammed on the
former governor on December 5, 2019 by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
“We have it on good authority that a certain group in the
North has been paid to mobilise about 1000 people to stage a protest in Abuja
this week over the conviction of the former governor.
“The group was reported to have addressed the media during
which it mischievously claimed that Kalu was a victim of high level conspiracy
and political witch -hunting. The group threatened to expose those it claimed
were behind the conviction of Chief Kalu, just as it asked notable politicians
in the North to rise up in the call to free the former governor whom the group
described as “a friend of the North”.
It urged the DSS and Presidency to fish out those behind the
planned protest and arraign them for attempt to undermine both our judiciary
and the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government.
“Such persons or group should be arrested to serve as deterrent
to others who may still want to sabotage the anti-corruption crusade of
President Muhammadu Buhari . Again, we insist that there should be no sacred
cow in the fight against graft . Nigerians await the final judgment of the
nation’s apex court on the trial of Chief Kalu over his conviction.
“We are also at loss over the post-conviction bail granted
to Kalu’s co-convict Mr Ude Udeogu on purported terminal health condition. Does
this not amount to freeing a culprit through the back door? If he claims he has
a terminal and infectious disease, is it safer to release him to the larger
society to infest others or keep him in a confinement for treatment? What about
other lesser mortals with even worse health conditions yet they are still in
prison custody? This sad development has also heightened our fear that Kalu may
soon be freed from jail without completing his prison term as was recently
boasted by one of his cronies.
“It has also come to our notice with utter dismay that
frantic efforts are on by some powerful politicians to get Kalu out of prison
under the guise of the recent directive to decongest correctional centres as
part of strategies to stem the spread of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic. We
want to put Nigerians on alert of the incalculable damage, mistrust and erosion
of public confidence this move might cause to our criminal justice system if allowed.
No convict should be granted pardon or freedom in any guise as such will make
nonsense of the war against corruption, the statement ended.