A former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has hired 12 lawyers, including six Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), to secure his release from prison.

Orji is serving a 12-year jail term at the Kuje Custodial Centre, Abuja for looting N7.65billion belonging to the Abia State Government.

He has filed a motion on notice against the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking to set aside his trial and conviction of last December 5.

A May 12, 2020 court process lists his 12-man team of lawyers as: Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN; Awa U. Kalu SAN; Chris Uche SAN; Dr. U. Olatoke, SAN; Chef H.O Alolabi, SAN; Sylvester Elema SAN; Ikoro N. A. Ikoro; Omosanya Popoola; C. Obidike; Nnamdi Awa Kalu; Vivien Udora and A S. Amire.

In the motion, he argued that no legal basis exists for his continued incarceration because the Supreme Court on May 8 pronounced his trial a nullity and freed his co-defendant Jones Udeogu.