After 18 months in prison, suspended DCP Abba Kyari granted bail

After 18 months in Kuje Correctional facility, the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari has been granted bail by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Recall that Kyari was declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over his alleged involvement in a 25kg cocaine deal.

Following his subsequent arrest in 2022, the embattled super cop was arraigned and remanded in Kuje Prison, Abuja, until his bail on Thursday.

Justice Kolawole Omotosho of a Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail under stringent conditions.

Abba Kyari’s suspension

The Police Service Commission (PSC) on August 1, 2021, announced the suspension of DCP Abba Kyari, who before the time, was the head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

According to a statement by Ikechukwu Ani, PSC’s spokesperson, Kyari’s suspension was based on recommendations from the then Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, pending the outcome of investigation linking the super cop’s relationship with popular fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly called Hushpuppi.

Kyari, who was indicted by a U.S. court as a conspirator in a $1.1 million fraudulent deal against a Qatari businessman, was expected to be extradited to the US to face trial. However, Kyari was not extradited before his ordeal with the NDLEA.

Kyari’s Ordeal with NDLEA

On February 14, 2022, the suspended DCP was declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), over an alleged links with an international drug cartel.

A statement by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s spokesperson, noted that “With the intelligence at our disposal, the Agency believes strongly that DCP Kyari is a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline, and he needs to answer questions that cropped up in an ongoing drug case in which he is the principal actor.”

Babafemi added that the super cop’s refusal to cooperate with the agency in its investigation led to his decision to declare him wanted.

Few hours after he was declared wanted, the suspended DCP was arrested by the Nigerian Police and handed over to the NDLEA.

Kyari’s charges

The NDLEA, on Monday, February 28, dragged Kyari, alongside four IRT operatives; Sunday J. Ubua, an assistant commissioner of police; Bawa James, an assistant superintendent of police; Simon Agirgba, an inspector; John Nuhu, also an inspector, and two other suspects; Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, before a federal high court in Abuja with offences of illegal drug dealing.

The agency also accused Kyari, as a 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.

On August 30, 2022, the NDLEA filed fresh 24-count charges against Kyari following the uncovering of 14 assets belonging to him.

A report by Punch Newspaper stated that over over N207 million and Є17,598 were discovered in Mr Kyari’s GTB, UBA and Sterling Bank accounts and various assets in Abuja and Borno state which include; shopping malls, residential estate, polo playground, lands and farmland belonging.

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