‘It was like going to school’: Orji Kalu speaks on prison experience

Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has described his six-month imprisonment as an experience comparable to going to school, saying the period taught him valuable lessons and made him a more humble person.

Kalu shared his reflections during an interview on Arise Television, where he discussed his incarceration and how it influenced his perspective on life.

The former Abia State governor said he had no regrets about spending time behind bars, explaining that the experience exposed him to lessons that changed the way he views life.

His imprisonment followed a December 2019 conviction by a Federal High Court in Lagos, which sentenced him to 12 years in prison over a 39-count corruption case.

In retrospect, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction in May 2020, ruling that the trial judge lacked the jurisdiction to deliver the judgment after being elevated to the Court of Appeal.

The apex court ordered a fresh trial, leading to Kalu’s release from Kuje Correctional Centre after approximately six months in custody.

Reflecting on the experience, the senator said the period helped him develop humility and appreciate life from a different perspective.

He also maintained that Nigerians who disagree with court decisions should pursue the available legal channels to challenge such rulings rather than disregard the judicial process.