I sold arms to anyone with money — Kalu

Former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu, recently revealed that he once engaged in the international trade of heavy weapons. Responding to probing questions from an Arise Television interviewer, Kalu stated that he sold arms to anyone who could afford to purchase them. He made this admission while discussing his business connections with both former and current South African leaders.

Kalu clarified that his motives were purely financial, and he ceased the business at the insistence of his parents. When questioned about whether he supplied weapons to the African National Congress during South Africa's struggle against apartheid, Kalu denied supplying exclusively to the ANC, stating that his clientele was anyone who could pay for the weapons.

The senator, however, maintained that the weapons he dealt with were not small arms but heavy ones traded between countries. When asked specifically about sales to Libya under its former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, Kalu responded that he sold to anyone capable of affording the purchase. The discussion also touched on Kalu's longstanding relationships with South African leaders, tracing back to his friendship with Nelson Mandela.

Mandela reportedly introduced Kalu to several South African presidents, including Thabo Mbeki and Cyril Ramaphosa.