Alleged Cocaine Deal: Court declines DCP Abba Kyari’s bail application

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to grant the bail application of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari. The Federal High Court refused to grant the bail application of Abba Kyari, who is being investigated over his alleged involvement in a 25 kilogrammes cocaine deal. 

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling, said the application had been overtaken by events following an order of a sister court, granting the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s prayers to detain Kyari for another 14 days to enable it to conclude its investigation.

Justice Ekwo held that the sister court, which gave the order in favour of NDLEA on February 22, was a court of coordinated jurisdiction.

The judge, however, said he was inclined to hear Kyari’s fundamental enforcement rights suit with the urgency it deserves after the expiration of the 14-day court order. 

He subsequently adjourned until March 15 to hear his application on his fundamental right enforcement. 

Kyari, last week, approached the court praying that the Federal Government be ordered to pay him N500million and also tender a written apology to him in two national dailies for the unlawful violation of his fundamental human rights. 

He is further praying the court for, “a declaration that arrest and continued detention of the Applicant by the Agent of the Respondent without bringing him before a court of competent jurisdiction from 12th of February 2022 till date, is Illegal, unlawful and a gross violation of his fundamental right. 

Among other demands, he also prayed the court to order his release on bail to enable him to take care of his deteriorating health condition.

Kyari told the court that he is suffering from “diabetes; high blood pressure and severe heart disease that may cause death.”

The anti-narcotics agency had, on February 14, confirmed that the embattled Mr. Kyari was in its custody after it declared the cop wanted for allegedly aiding and abetting drug pushing and running his own drug cartel.

The declaration by the NDLEA came a few months after the former police intelligence unit commander was indicted in an Internet fraud case by a U.S. court.

As a result of the declaration, the Nigerian police announced that Mr. Kyari was arrested alongside four other members of the police intelligence response team and handed over to the NDLEA.