The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari and six others on Monday were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on drug trafficking charges.
Kyari, who was dressed in blue attire, and his police co-defendants, pleaded not guilty to the charge but the 6th and 7th Defendants, Umeibe and Ezenwanne, pleaded guilty to the charge that was read to them.
Kyari, alongside the other six co-defendants, were arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) before Justice Emeka Nwite.
The other defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022 include Sunday J. Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu. The defendants are members of the police intelligence response team (IRT).
Others are Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, two alleged drug traffickers who were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
In the charge filed by Joseph Sunday, NDLEA director of prosecution and legal services, the agency accused Kyari and the four other police officers of conspiracy, obstruction and dealing in cocaine weighing 17.55kg.
Some of the charges against them, read; “That you, DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirigba and Inspector John Nuhu, all-male adults 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.
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“That you, DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all-male adults 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 kilogrammes 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 kilogrammes 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 authorised officers in the exercise of their duties by offering the sum of $61,400.00 USD (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.”
