Suspended DCP Abba Kyari, whose name will not be forgotten in a hurry in Nigeria and beyond for his various degree of criminal activities which first bothered on money laundering, and at this time, drug trafficking, has again, pleaded not guilty before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Kyari, who was arraigned before the court on Monday, February 7, 2022 alongside some other police officers for the alleged offense, in an eight-count charge, denied his involvement in narcotics before the court.
Those charged for the offense and arraigned with the embattled DCP. Kyari include: ACP Sunday Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspectors Simon Agirigba, John Nuhu, while ASP John Umoru is still at large.
Others also arraigned are: Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne. The duo pleaded guilty to the offense of unlawfully importation of 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine on or about January 25, 2022, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria, an offence contrary to, and punishable under section 11(a) of the NDLEA ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
However, Kyari and other police officers, all of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), insisted on their innocence despite the charges filed against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) over their alleged involvement in 17.55 kilogrammes of cocaine between January 19 and 25, an offence contrary to, and punishable under section 14(b) of the NDLEA Act, CAP 30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The eighth count charge reads: “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 USD 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.”
Recall that, DCP. Abba Kyari was declared wanted and arrested on February 14, 2022 by the NDLEA, after a video footage of himself, negotiating a drug deal with some individuals, leaked out on the social media. His alleged links, with a drug cartel, made the matter unpalatable for him.
As it stands, no one knows for sure, when the troubled super cop will be extradited to America, to face another criminal charge involving $1.1million wire fraud, made to him by internet fraudster, Abass Ramon, aka Hushpuppi even after the federal government, on March 3, 2022, approved the extradition process of the DCP.
This is so because, Section 3 of the Extradition Act, says, “an individual facing trial in Nigeria cannot be extradited to another country.”
The case has again been adjourned.