The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted the suspended Police Chief, DCP Abba Kyari N50 million bail in a charge in which he and two of his siblings were accused of failing to declare their assets to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
However, the judge held that even when Mr Kyari meets the conditions, the endorsement of his release warrant is subject to developments in a sister case in which he is being tried with four others on alleged involvement in illicit drug dealings.
Justice Omotosho added that the sureties must have property worth N25m within the court’s jurisdiction, among other conditions.
It would be recalled that NDLEA had accused Mr Kyari and the four IRT members of illicit dealing in 21.35kg of cocaine between January 19 and 25, 2022, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act.
In one of the charges, the anti-narcotic agency alleged that Mr Kyari and the four IRT operatives illicitly tampered with 21.35kg of cocaine by removing 17.55 kg of it and “substituting same with some other substance”. The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the NDLEA Act.
The prosecutors also accused Mr Kyari, in a count which features only him as the sole defendant, of attempting to obstruct the NDLEA and its authorised officers by offering $61,400 to a senior anti-narcotics operative as an inducement to prevent the testing of the 17.55kg of cocaine.
In three of the counts, Messrs Umeibe and Ezenwanne were accused of importing 21.35kg of cocaine into Nigeria via the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Enugu State, on January 19, 2022.
Meanwhile, another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Inyang Ekwo, had on June 3 fixed August 29 for judgement on the suit seeking the extradition of Mr Kyari to the United States of America to face fraud charges.
