Orji Kalu says he sold weapons to paying buyers, stopped after parents' request

Former Abia State governor and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said he formerly sold weapons to people and countries that were prepared to pay. He made the statement in an interview on Arise News while discussing his business activities and ties to various African leaders. When asked directly whether he was an arms dealer, Kalu replied, “Yes.” He said his mother and father asked him to abandon the trade, and he stopped. Kalu added that he did not focus on how the weapons might be used, saying his main aim then was to earn money. He said he sold guns to make money and that what buyers did with them was “not my business.” Asked if he had supplied the African National Congress during South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle, Kalu said the ANC was not a specific customer. He said he sold to “anybody who wants to buy.” He added that his arms business extended to different countries, provided buyers had the funds. When the interviewer asked about former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Kalu said his business was open to any interested buyer with money at the time. He described Gaddafi as “a good man” and said, “May he rest in peace.” The interviewer also asked where the weapons came from and who supplied them. Kalu declined to reveal that information, calling it his private business.