Parents Forced Exit from Heavy Weapons Market
Senator Orji Kalu, who represents Abia North in the Nigerian Senate, stated that he ended his involvement in the international arms trade following direct intervention by his parents. The revelation came during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, where the former Abia State governor confirmed that he previously operated as an arms dealer but had since stopped the business.
Kalu explained that his decision to leave the industry was not driven by political or ideological shifts, but by family pressure. He told the interviewer that his mother and father approached him with a specific demand regarding his professional activities.
"But my parents, my mother, my father came and said I must stop, and I stopped," Kalu said. He identified their insistence as the sole reason for his departure from the sector.
Financial Motives and Client Base
Describing the nature of his former business, Kalu characterized it as a commercial enterprise focused on heavy weapons sold country-to-country, distinct from small arms circulating within Nigeria. He stated that his involvement was driven by financial interests rather than any political alignment or ideological commitment.
Kalu provided a direct quote regarding his motivation for entering the trade: "I was selling guns to make money, whether they blow up it’s not my business." This statement underscored his assertion that the transactions were purely economic, devoid of strategic or moral considerations regarding the end-use of the weapons.
When questioned about specific clients during his time in the industry, Kalu denied supplying weapons exclusively to the African National Congress (ANC) during its struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Instead, he stated that he sold to anyone who could afford the weapons, listing customers from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia among those he served.
When asked if he supplied arms to former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Kalu confirmed he sold to anyone with money. He expressed admiration for the late leader, stating, "May his soul rest in peace. He was a good man." This comment highlighted the personal respect he held for certain international figures, separate from the commercial nature of their dealings.
Connections to South African Leadership
Kalu also discussed his relationships with former South African presidents Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, and Cyril Ramaphosa, which he said began through a friendship with Mandela. He recalled a specific conversation with Mandela regarding the ANC's choice of Mbeki as a running mate.
According to Kalu, Mandela stated that Mbeki’s father contributed more to the anti-apartheid struggle than Ramaphosa’s father, which influenced the party's decision. Kalu added that Mbeki later introduced him to former President Jacob Zuma. These interactions illustrate the depth of his access to high-level political circles in South Africa during the transition period.
Kalu refused to reveal where he sourced the weapons during his time in the trade, calling it a strict business matter and declining to provide further details on the supply chain. By keeping the origins of the arms confidential, he maintained the operational secrecy required for such international transactions.