A Federal High Court has denied the bail request for the embattled former deputy commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.
Kyari alongside five other defendants are being charged in relation to offences of unlawful drug dealings. On March 7, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned Abba Kyari and four other members of the Police Intelligence Response Team on eight counts.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court held that the NDLEA has strong evidence against the defendants and therefore the court was refusing bail. In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022, the agency accused them of conspiracy, obstruction and dealing in cocaine.
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On 14 February 2022, a video clip of Kyari was exposed. In the video, he negotiated the release of some quantity of seized 25kg cocaine, and offered $61,400 cash.
The other IRT members charged are Sunday Ubua, an assistant commissioner of police; Bawa James, an assistant superintendent of police; Simon Agirgba and John Nuhu, both inspectors.
Joseph Sunday, the prosecuting lawyer on the case described Mr Kyari as a “flight risk”. The former Deputy Commissioner of Police and the other officers have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
