A civil society organization, Abia Redemption Movement, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to expedite the trial of the former governor of Abia state, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu over alleged N5.6bn fraud.

The Abia based group in a letter signed by its Coordinator, Chief Onwuka Eme and its secretary,  Mrs Agnes Orie,  which was addressed to the Acting chairman of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu, urged him to use his office to ensure that justice was done on the matter.

The group noted that the trial has been frustrated by various interlocutory applications but that the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment on 18^th March ordered that the former governor must face trial.

Ibrahim Magu, Acting Executive Chairman, EFCC

“We passionately appeal to you to urgently wade into this matter as some reactionary forces are hell-bent to subvert justice,” the group remarked.

It urged Magu to invoke the spirit and letters of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 which stipulates the speedy and concurrent trial of criminal offenders.

Recall that EFCC, recently, filed an amended 34-count criminal charge against the former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.

The charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/56/07, was entered before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on a day trial Justice Anwuli Chikere was to commence hearing on an initial amended 112-count charge the anti-graft agency preferred against Kalu and two others on ‎February 11, 2008.

The development made it the third time the EFCC is amending the charge against the defendants.

Kalu was hitherto answering to a 107-count corruption charge alongside his alleged accomplice, Udeh Jones Udeogu and his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited.

The charge against them borders on conspiracy, money laundering and illegal diversion of public funds to the tune of N5.6billion.

The fraud was allegedly perpetuated while Kalu held sway as the governor of Abia State between 1999 and 2007.

EFCC had at the last adjourned date, April 11, 2016, secured leave of the court to arraign the defendants on the previously amended 112-count charge.