Abba Kyari, 6 others to Appear in Court today
By: Collins Mbakwe
The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari, will today be arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, following his alleged involvement in drug trafficking by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
DCP Kyari will be docked before Justice Emeka Nwite, alongside four other police officers, namely ACP Sunday J. Abia, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba and Insp. John Nuhu, and two alleged drug traffickers that were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.
The Defendants will enter their plea to an eight-count criminal charge the NDLEA preferred against them.
The agency, in the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022, alleged that Kyari who hitherto headed the Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, and his men, unlawfully tampered with 21.25kg worth of cocaine seized from the two apprehended drug traffickers, Umeibe and Ezenwanne.
It alleged that the police officers committed the offence between January 19 and 25, 2022, at the office of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) IRT, Abuja, in connivance with one ASP John Umoru (now at large), contrary to section 14(b) of the NDLEA Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Kyari was said to have attempted to bribe a senior officer of the NDLEA with $61,400. 00 at a restaurant in Abuja to prevent the testing of part of the cocaine that was seized from the two arrested drug pushers.
On the other hand, NDLEA told the court that Umeibe and Ezenwanne conspired with one IK that is currently at large, to import 21.35kg of cocaine into the country without lawful authority and knowingly possessed same, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(d) of the NDLEA Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Our Nigeria News Magazine learned that some of the charges against the Defendants read: “That you, DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J. Labuan, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirigba, and Inspector John Nuhu, all-male, adult on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dealt in 17.55kilogrammes of cocaine without lawful authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“That you, DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J Labuan, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all-male, all-male, Adult on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, within the office of the Inspector-General of (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves and with ASP John Umoru (now at large) to unlawfully tamper with 21.35 kilograms of cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwannne in the custody of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), by removing and disposing of 17.55 kilograms of the cocaine and by substituting same with some other substance and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.”
“That you DCP Abba Kyari, on or about 25th January 2022, at a restaurant on Port Harcourt Crescent, Area 11, Garki Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, attempted to obstruct the Agency and its authorized officers in the exercise of their duties by offering the sum of USD 61,400.00 (sixty-one thousand, four hundred United States of America Dollars) to a senior officer of the Agency as an inducement to prevent the testing of the 17.55kilogrammes of substance used to replace the cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 23 and punishable under section 49 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004”.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, had last Wednesday, okayed request for DCP Kyari to be extradited to the United States of America, USA, to face trial over his alleged involvement with an internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
Kyari is wanted in the U.S. to stand trial for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft.
A grand jury had on April 29, 2021, filed an indictment against him with the approval of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, after which a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Malami said the extradition application he filed before the court followed a request by the Diplomatic Representative of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja for Kyari to be surrendered for trial.
