The Senator representing Abia North, Orji Kalu, has revealed that he previously operated as an international arms dealer trading in heavy weapons. The former Abia State governor stated that he sold arms to any buyer who could afford them across different countries.
Kalu made the disclosure during a television interview on Monday while discussing his longstanding relationships with African leaders. He confirmed that his business interests extended far beyond Nigeria, involving the transfer of heavy military hardware from one nation to another.
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The lawmaker, when questioned about his involvement in the global arms trade, confirmed his past dealings but claimed he stepped away due to family pressure.
“Yes, so I stopped because my… But my parents, my mother, my father came and said I must stop, and I stopped,” he stated.
Kalu dismissed allegations that he supplied weapons with the intent of fueling conflicts, explaining that his sole motivation was profit.
“No, no, no, no, no, no. I was selling guns to make money, whether they blow up it’s not my business,” he said.
Kalu, while answering questions on whether he supplied the African National Congress during the anti-apartheid struggle, explained that his clientele was open to anyone with the financial capacity.
“No, I was selling to anybody who wants to buy. If you have the money, you want to buy in D.R.C, I sell to you, you want to buy in Namibia, you want to buy…” Kalu added.
The senator also admitted to doing business with Libya under its late leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
“To anybody that had money to buy. May his soul rest in peace. He was a good man. If you have money to buy, when I was selling, I would sell to you.”
However, Kalu declined to disclose the source of his heavy weaponry, insisting that the details remained strictly his business.
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Kalu addressed concerns over the proliferation of small arms in Nigeria, clarifying that his transactions involved only heavy weapons traded on a country-to-country basis.
During the interview, Kalu traced his ties with successive South African leaders back to his friendship with the late Nelson Mandela. He revealed that Mandela introduced him to several South African presidents, including Thabo Mbeki and current President Cyril Ramaphosa.
According to Kalu, Mandela explained at the time that Mbeki’s father contributed more significantly to the anti-apartheid struggle than Ramaphosa’s father, a factor that influenced the African National Congress’s decision to choose Mbeki over Ramaphosa.
He added that Mbeki subsequently introduced him to former President Jacob Zuma, allowing his diplomatic and business relationships to continue through successive administrations.
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