Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, fixed March 28 for his ruling on the bail applications by Abba Kyari, the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari and his co-defendants, following their alleged involvement in conspiracy and illegal dealing in cocaine.
Justice Nwite adjourned his ruling after listening to arguments from lawyers to the parties.
Kyari alongside Sunday Ubua, an assistant commissioner of police; Bawa James, an assistant superintendent of police; Simon Agirgba, an inspector; John Nuhu, also an inspector, were arraigned before Justice Nwite last week.
When the charge was read to them, they pleaded not guilty to the eight-count charge preferred against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
But two of Kyari’s co-defendants, Chibuna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who are non-police officers, pleaded guilty to the charge on March 7 during their arraignment.
The NDLEA had accused Kyari and the four IRT members of illicit dealing in 21.35kg of cocaine between January 19 and 25, 2022, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act.
Umeibe and Ezenwanne allegedly imported the 21.35kg of cocaine into Nigeria via the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Enugu State, on January 19, 2022.
In one of the charges, the anti-narcotic agency alleged that Kyari and the four IRT operatives illicitly tampered with 21.35kg of cocaine by removing 17.55 kg of it and “substituting same with some other substance”. The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the NDLEA Act.
The prosecutors also accused Kyari, in a count which features only him as the sole defendant, of attempting to obstruct the NDLEA and its authorised officers by offering $61,400 to a senior anti-narcotic operative as inducement to prevent the testing of the 17.55kg of cocaine.
