‘Sick’ Abba Kyari To Remain In NDLEA Detention As Court Refuses To Hear Bail Application

Abba Kyari, the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, will remain in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) until February 24 when his fundamental human rights suit will be heard by the Federal High Court, Abuja.

This followed the refusal of Justice Inyang Ekwo to hear the ex-parte motion filed on Kyari’s behalf by his counsel, Cynthia Ikenna, seeking the release of the police officer on bail.

Ikenna had reportedly informed the court that her client was diabetic and hypertensive, hence keeping him in detention may cause his health to deteriorate.

But Justice Ekwo directed Kyari’s lawyer to put the NDLEA on notice of the suit and adjourned till Thursday, February 24, 2022, for the anti-narcotics agency to respond to the applicant’s claims.

“Upon studying the process of the applicant and the averments in support of the application, I am of the opinion that the respondents be put on notice so they can answer to the averments. Therefore, the applicant is hereby ordered to put the respondents on notice of all the processes in this matter,” the judge held.

DCP Kyari and four other senior and junior police officers have been in the custody of the NDLEA after their recent arrest over alleged links to an international drug cartel.

The NDLEA had released some photos and videos that showed the moment DCP Kyari allegedly tried to influence one of its officers to swap about 25kg of cocaine seized from drug traffickers with counterfeits.

The deputy police commissioner was alleged to have engaged in the act after he was suspended from office following his indictment for alleged links to international internet fraudsters by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).