By John Audu
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled against suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari and his co-defendants, ordering them to enter their defence in the cocaine trafficking case brought by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the ruling on Friday, stating that a prima facie case had been established against Kyari and four other police officers, who are charged with conspiracy to deal in 17.55 kg of cocaine.
Kyari, the former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), was arrested on February 14, 2022, after the NDLEA declared him wanted for alleged ties to an international drug cartel. Alongside him in the dock are Sunday Ubua (ACP), Bawa James (ASP), Simon Agirgba (Inspector), and John Nuhu (Inspector), all facing serious charges including dealing in cocaine without lawful authority and tampering with seized drugs.
The group was arraigned with two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who pleaded guilty and were convicted. In contrast, Kyari and his co-defendants have maintained their innocence.
Following the NDLEA’s closure of its case, the defendants submitted a no-case application, arguing that the prosecution had not presented sufficient evidence for a conviction. However, Justice Nwite concluded that the evidence presented warranted a defence, ordering all defendants to respond to the charges.
In his ruling, the judge emphasized that the quantity of cocaine involved does not diminish the prima facie evidence against Kyari, and he dismissed the defence’s arguments regarding the specifics of the charge.
The court has adjourned the matter until May 21 for the defendants to present their case.
