…Court Grants Agency PERMISSION TO DETAIN ABBA KYARI, SIX OTHERS FOR TWO WEEKS
Justice Zainab Dimka Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted an application by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA to detain for two weeks Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari and six others.
Justice Zainab Dimka Abubakar while granting the NDLEA’s prayer directed the Agency to seek renewal at the expiration of the 14 days detention order in order to seek an extension or file a charge against the suspects and arraign them before the court.
The Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi disclosed the court’s decision in a statement on Tuesday.
The NDLEA is investigating Kyari and six others for their involvement in a 25 kilogram cocaine scandal under investigation.
Babafemi said that the court granted the request following an application by
Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, Mr. Sunday Joseph on Tuesday.
The NDLEA in its plea before the court said that it was in need of more time to detain Kyari and other suspects because of the complicated nature of the case.
The Agency stressed that the investigation would extend to other countries where some drug barons whose names featured prominently in the drug deal.
“The investigation will take some time as there are complicated dimensions of the case that require follow-up and unravelling. That the investigation is likely to extend to foreign countries, where some people linked to this trans-national drug trafficking activities reside.”
He said, “The Agency had in the application dated 15th February 2022 in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2022 sought the leave of the court to detain the suspects in NDLEA custody for 14 days pending the conclusion of investigation.
“Suspects affected by the order include: DCP Abba Kyari; ACP Sunday J. Ubia; ASP James Bawa; Inspector Simon Agirigba; Inspector John Nuhu; Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alfonsus Ezenwanne.”
The NDLEA had said in an affidavit supporting the motion, that the 6th and 7th respondents (Umeibe and Ezenwanne) confessed when they were made arrested in Enugu that they imported the seized cocaine through Addis-Ababa to Enugu on 19th January, 2022.
The Agency said that “the 1st to 5th respondents (Kyari, Ubia, Bawa, Agirigba and Nuhu) are police officers who carried out the arrest of the 6th and 7th respondents and transferred them to NDLEA for further investigation.
“That investigation by the NDLEA revealed that the 1st to 5th respondents have compromised the whole operation and were involved in the importation, trafficking, and dealing and also tampered with the recovered cocaine.
“That the 1st to 5th respondents have volunteered their statements upon preliminary investigation, which has shown complicity in the case. Copies of statements are hereby attached and marked Annexure NDLEA 4,5,6,7,8, & 9 respectively.
“That the investigation will take some time as there are complicated dimensions of the case that require follow-up and unravelling. That the investigation is likely to extend to foreign countries, where some people linked to this trans-national drug trafficking activities reside.
“That it is in line with the above that the Applicant is applying to the Honourable Court for a period of 14 days in the first instance to detain the respondents to enable it carry out its investigation successfully.”
Kyari and the four other police officers were arrested and handed over to NDLEA on Monday 14th February by police authorities, five hours after the Agency declared him wanted in connection with the drug deal.
