‘My life is in danger’— Former Abia attorney general, Umeh Kalu cries out

The former Abia attorney general, Umeh Kalu (SAN) has cried out to the public and police over the increasing threat to his life by Mr. Chinedum Orji who is the current speaker of Abia state house of Assembly, Umuahia. 

In a letter to the Inspector General of Police, in which a copy was made available to Mouthpiece NGR on Thursday, Kalu accused the speaker of making life unbearable for him when he served under the governorship tenure of senator Theodore Ahmeful Orji. 

According to him, for a substantial part of his service period with Senator T.A Orji, his son Mr. Chinedum Orji made life unbearable for those who served in his father’s government, through his various acts of meddlesomeness and unnecessary intervention in the affairs of government. 

Chinedum Orji

In what seems to be a sustained threat, Kalu raised alarm again that recent events have shown that he is still arms away from Mr. Chinedum Orji, as he remains unrelenting in unleashing his threats on me.

He said the immediate facts leading to this outcry emanated from an evening phone call that he received on  Friday, the 7th day of February 2020, from one Mr. Greyne Anosike of Umuariam , Obowo in Imo State, informing me of an impending publication on the desk of one of his friends at Thisday Newspapers. 

According to him, Mr.Anosike told him that his said friend at thisday Newspapers had contacted him to reach out to anybody that could link him to the family of Senator T.A Orji, for the purpose of “killing ” the publication of the story bothering on the EFCC investigations into the alleged fraudulent activities of the Senator T.A Orji’s family members over Abia state funds.”

It reads: “Re: THREAT TO MY LIFE BY

 RT.HON.CHINEDUM ENYINNAYA ORJI,SPEAKER ABIA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.”

“I write to bring to your notice, the sustained threat to my life by Mr.Chinedum Orji who is the current speaker of Abia state house of Assembly, Umuahia. The said Chinedum Orji has residence in both Umuahia Abia state and Abuja, the federal capital territory.”

“I am an indigen of Ohafia, Abia state and a legal practitioner with over thirty-three (33) years practice experience. I have attained the status of Senior Advocate  of Nigeria in my profession. I am equally a life Member of the body of Benchers, which is the highest decision making body in the legal profession in Nigeria. I was in the public service of Abia State as Attorney General and commissioner for Justice for the period July 2009 through May 28, 2019.”

“I served as Attorney General and commissioner for Justice under the Governorship tenure of Senator Theodore Ahamefula Orji ,who is the father of Rt.Hon.Chinedum Orji, within the period 2009-2015. For a substantial part of my service period with Senator T.A Orji, his son Mr. Chinedum Orji made life unbearable for those of us who served in his father’s government, through his various acts of meddlesomeness and unnecessary intervention in the affairs of government.”

“Through dint of hard work, perseverance, commitment to service and above all Gods grace, I was able to survive all his harassment and threats up to the eclipse/cessation of his father’s tenure as Governor in May 2015.”

“My hope of a reprieve from Mr  Chinedum Orji’s emotional trauma on my person was dashed on my being reappointed by Dr.Okezie Ikpeazu, the incumbent Governor of Abia State, in June 2015, as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.”

“By the time of my reappointment, Mr.Chinedum Orji had become a member of the Abia State House of Assembly and indeed the Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, a position from which he deployed the instruments and machinery of the House of Assembly to haunt, taunt and ridicule me at will.”

“It may not be necessary to give details of my sordid experience at the hands of this young man,and even those of others who served in the Government of Abia state within my service period, as such details may not be relevant to the facts of this petition.”

“I left the service of the Abia state government at the end of Dr.Okezie Ikpeazu’s first term in office in May 2019 into private legal practice in in Abuja. I had great expectations and relief at my exit from the service of the Abia State Government, as I thought respite had come my way from the nightmares and booby traps set on my path by Mr.Chinedum Orji, which I had to navigate daily in the course of my service in the Abia state Government.”

“Regrettably, recent events have shown that I am still arms away from Mr. Chinedum Orji, as he remains unrelenting in unleashing his threats on me.”

“The immediate facts leading to this outcry emanated from an evening phone call that i received on  Friday, the 7th day of February 2020, from one Mr. Greyne Anosike of Umuariam ,Obowo in Imo State, informing me of an impending publication on the desk of one of his friends at Thisday  Newspapers. Mr.Anosike told me that his said friend at thisday Newspapers had contacted him to reach out to anybody that could link him to the family of Senator T.A Orji ,for the purpose of “killing ” the publication of the story bothering on the EFCC investigations into the alleged fraudulent activities of the Senator T.A Orji’s family members over Abia state funds.”

“Mr.Anosike Greyne who was my school mate at the Imo State University, sought my assistance towards reaching the Orji’s for the purpose of “killing ” the publication. I told Mr. Anosike Greyne in clear   and unmistakable terms that I was not going to get involved in such matters and advised him to seek other channels. His further attempts at persuading me to link him to another person that may connect him to the Orji’s was rebuffed, necessitating my switching off my phone.”

“I got a call the following day being Saturday, the 8th day of February 2020 ,from a cousin of mine- Chief Charles Nkata – requesting that I meet him at his Utako, Abuja office for an urgent and important discussion. When I was not forthcoming as expected, Chief Charles Nkata called me again and told me that the purpose of his invitation to me was to discuss the facts of a phone discussion he had with Mr.Chinedum Orji a few hours earlier. 

He told me that Mr. Chinedum orji had called him, accusing me of deploying my media friends, including one Greyne Anosike to set up ,defame and libel his family members.”

“Chief Charles Nkata told me that Mr. Chinedum Orji warned him of an impending showdown between myself and members of his family, in the event of the publication of any news item relating to his family and EFCC investigation. He further told me that Mr. Chinedum Orji amongst other things said there will be bloodshed, despite the general belief that his Ibeku tribe people will not ordinarily shed the blood of an Ohafia man.”

“I was taken aback by this turn of events and gave chief Charles Nkata an on -the- spot   narration of my brief exchange with Mr.Anosike on the matter and,equally forwarded Mr. Anosike’s number to him should he desire to reconfirm what I had  told him.”

“I subsequently called Mr. Anosike after speaking with chief Charles Nkata to discuss how I had suddenly become the publisher of the news story he informed me he  was on his friends desk at Thisday Newspapers, when  he was seeking my assistance to make contact with the orji’s.”

“I need not bother you here with my altercation with Mr. Anosike over his desperation to reach the Orji’s but I certainly suspect that Mr Anosike after probably on getting in touch with the Orji’s, informed them of my rejection to link him to them.”

“As predicted by Mr. Anosike Greyne, the publication on EFCC ‘s investigation of the alleged fraudulent activities over Abia state funds by Senator T.A Orji and his Son’s was headline story in major Newspapers in the country the next day being Sunday, the 9th day of February 2020.”

“My first reaction on seeing these publications which I no  had prior knowledge about, apart from the information given to me by Mr Anosike was to inform my close family members, relations and friends of the threat to my person by Mr.chinedum Orji, as earlier stated in this petition.”

“I had at that moment and following the covid-19 scourge and its attendant restrictions on movements of persons restrained myself from further actions on the threat to my person by Mr Chinedum Orji. I am buoyed by the relaxation of the restrictions on movements and recent information available to me present this petition for your investigation and intervention.”

“My attention has recently been drawn to trending video clips, which have gone viral on the social media, showing young men threatening to decapitate, maim or kill any person suspected to be behind the ongoing EFCC investigation of the Orji’s or propagating same. I have equally been receiving unidentified threat phone calls at odd hours of the day, including text messages.”

“It is in the light of the foregoing, that I present this petition to your office, seeking a thorough investigation of the facts contained above ,for the purposes of protecting my life and the lives of immediate members of my family.”

“I will on request make available to your officers and men the relevant contact, information of all the deamatis personnae mentioned in this petition, in aid of your investigation of this petition.”

“It might be important to mention, that I presently live in fear and cannot move about freely in Abuja or any part of the country, including my home state Abia, due to the threat on my life as aforestated.”

Thanking you in anticipation of your prompt action, while assuring you of my warmest regards.

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