Cocaine deal: Kyari, 6 others for arraignment today

After over 20 days in detention, the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) will today arraign the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari, and six others on eight-counts bordering on drug trafficking.

They are expected to be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court (FHC).

The other defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022 include Sunday J. Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu, who 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.

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Umeibe and Ezenwanne were accused of conspiring with others at large to import 21.35kg of cocaine into the country.

Kyari and his co-accused have been in the custody of the NDLEA since February 14, after allegedly attempting to bribe an official of the agency with $61,400 to facilitate the release of seized cocaine.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had declined to order the NDLEA to release him on bail.

Rather, Justice Inyang Ekwo, fixed March 15 to hear the fundamental right enforcement suit he (Kyari) filed to query the legality of his arrest and continued detention.

Justice Ekwo held that Kyari’s application for bail was overtaken by events, noting that a sister court had already granted the NDLEA the permission to detain him for 14 days, pending the conclusion of its investigations.

He held that Kyari’s bail application could not be granted since the order for his further detention emanated from a court of coordinate jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the former filing of charges against Kyari may stall attempts by the Federal Government to extradite him to the United States of America.

The Federal Government had, last Thursday, approved the request by the United States of America, for Kyari, to be extradited over the $1.1 million wire fraud perpetrated by Abass Ramon, a.k.a Hushpuppi, and four others.

Sun