Chief Judge frees convicted politician two months after beginning of seven-year jail time

Chuma Nzeribe, a politician convicted of forgery and other crimes, has been freed from prison barely two months after he began a seven-year jail time.

Mr Baba-Yusuf’s decision pre-empted the ruling of another judge of the court, Halilu Yusuf, on the bail application which Mr Nzeribe filed but had yet to be heard. The EFCC could only apprehend and take him to court for sentencing on 24 March, nearly a year after his conviction.But within a short while after his sentencing, Mr Nzeribe filed an appeal against the court’s decision and applied for post-conviction bail.

He added that “the Chief Judge used his discretion to pardon the convict . Moreover, he is 64 years old.” Mr Akinlade explained that the law empowers the Chief Judge under the prerogative of mercy to order a prisoner’s release if such a person has been incarcerated for a while. Mr Nzeribe’s release fits into the broader picture of a criminal justice system that allows both the judiciary and the executive arms of government to give high-profile suspects or criminal convicts some special treatment.

The Supreme Court’s judgement delivered on an appeal by Mr Kalu’s co-defendant, Ude Udeogu, had ordered a retrial at the Federal High Court. The source, who asked not to be named, disclosed that the trial judge was unaware of Mr Nzeribe’s release. “It doesn’t have jurisdiction to entertain any application from the applicant since …an appeal has been filed before the Court of Appeal,” the source said.In 2013, Mr Nzeribe, a former governorship aspirant in Imo State, was alleged to be in possession of a document containing false pretence with reference number MFCT/LA/FCT 1302, dated June 18, 2003, bearing the name of Ramatu Alhassan.

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