Court denies DCP Abba Kyari’s request to drop the drug case against him. Get the latest updates on this high-profile legal battle and its implications.
An appeal filed by suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Abba Kyari against charges linked to an alleged illicit drug transaction has been dismissed by the Abuja Court of Appeal.
Kyari’s appeal challenged the ruling of Justice Emeka Nwite, who on March 22nd declined to drop charges against him and four other police officers.
Kyari contended that the Nigeria Police Force’s internal disciplinary mechanisms should be utilized before proceeding to trial in Federal High Court, claiming it lacked jurisdiction.
The decision of Justice Nwite was that the authority held by the Police Service Commission (PSC) is not greater than that of the Federal High Court.
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The Federal High Court’s decision was affirmed on Thursday by a three-judge panel of the appellate court, with Justice Adebukola Banjoko as its leader. Kyari’s plea was dismissed by Justice Banjoko who stated that “This court sees no basis to interfere with the verdicts and deductions made by the knowledgeable trial judge of the Federal High Court,” and ruled in agreement with their March 22nd ruling.
The Federal High Court was instructed by the appellate court to proceed with the trial as Kyari’s appeal was deemed lacking in merit. The presiding justices, Peter Obiora and Okon Abang, agreed with the primary verdict.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is prosecuting Kyari, who previously led the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at Nigeria Police Force. Additionally, four other members of IRT – ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu are also being prosecuted by NDLEA.
The charges against them include conspiring to trade 17.55kg of cocaine, trading cocaine without legal permission, plotting to tamper with the drug and illegally manipulating 21.35kg of confiscated cocaine that belonged to two convicted drug dealers.
