The embattled suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, who was arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday has had his trial adjourned.

The trial of Abba Kyari and six others was adjourned till March 2022.

Mr Kyari is expected to remain in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) until he reappears in court at the adjourned date for his bail hearing.

Those arraigned along with Mr Kyari include Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP Sunday Ubua, Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirigba, Inspector John Nuhu, Chibuinna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.

In court on Monday Mr Kyari pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the eight drug trafficking-related counts brought against him by the NDLEA.

While the other four senior police officers also pleaded ‘not guilty’, the two civilians in the trial – Chibuinna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne – pleaded guilty to counts five, six and seven.

Shortly after the defendants entered their plea, the NDLEA, through its Director, Prosecution & Legal Services, Joseph Sunday, applied for trial date and for review of facts in respect of the defendants that pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge.

The NDLEA equally told the court that it filed a counter-affidavit to oppose the release of Kyari and the other four former members of the Police IRT, on bail.

The defence counsel, Kanu Agabi, while arguing that the charge against the defendants contained bailable offences, urged the court not to accede to request for facts in respect of Umeibe and Ezenwanne as it will be prejudicial to his client for facts of the case to be reviewed and decision reached on it, while the trial is still subsisting.

He noted that both Umeibe and Ezenwanne were also mentioned in some counts in the charge that involved Kyari and the others.

Justice Emeka Nwike therefore adjourned to March 14 to hear the bail application.

The NDLEA had filed eight counts of hard drugs trafficking against Mr Kyari, who is also wanted in the United States for his relationship with convicted fraudster, Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas.

According to the NDLEA, Mr Kyari, between January 19 and 25, dealt in 17.55 kilograms of cocaine.

He is also being charged with obstruction of justice through attempted bribery of NDLEA officers.

Charges Against Abba Kyari And His Alleged Accomplices

The eight-count charge brought against Abba Kyari and his alleged accomplices:

Count one: “That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male, on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, at the office of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abuja conspired amongst themselves with ASP John Umoru (now at large) to deal in 17.55kilogrammes of cocaine 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 of Nigeria 2004.

Count two read: “That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male, Adult 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.

Count Three: “That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male, all male, Adult 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 kilogramames of cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka AlphonsEzenwannne in the custody of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), by removing and disposing 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”

Count Four: 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 unlawfully tampered with 21.35 kilogramames 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 17.55 kilogrammes of the cocaine and substituting same with some other substance and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 16 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.

Count Five: That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male adult and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 19th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35kilogrammes of cocaine 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 of Nigeria 2004.

Count Six: That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 25th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to an punishable under section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Count Seven: That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult and one IK, now at large, on the 25th January 2022, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly possessed 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Count Eight: 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 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.

Will Abba Kyari get bail on March 14, 2022, the date of hearing of his bail application?

Source: StreetReporters.ng