Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, June 19, dismissed a fresh bail application filed by the detained former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, who is facing an eight-count charge bordering on drug trafficking brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The NDLEA alleged that Kyari and his men connived with one ASP John Umoru (now at large), ACP Sunday J. Ubia, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba, and Insp. John Nuhu, sometime between January 19 and 25, 2022, to unlawfully tamper with 21.25 kilogrammes worth of cocaine that they seized from the two convicted drug traffickers – Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwane – even as they also accused them of dealing in cocaine worth 17.55 kg, which contravenes Section 14(b) of the NDLEA Act, CAP 30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
According to the NDLEA, the incident occurred at the office of the Inspector-General of Police, Abuja.
In two previous rulings, the court denied the defendants bail and ordered their remand at Kuje prison.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja also refused Kyari’s request for bail.
Recall that the court granted Kyari temporary bail from prison custody last month to enable him to participate in his mother’s final burial rites, granting him bail in the sum of N50 million for two weeks and two sureties in like sum.
However, at today’s sitting, Justice Nwite held that Kyari’s application lacked merit. He stated that Kyari failed to establish any exceptional circumstance that would warrant the exercise of judicial discretion in his favour.
The trial judge said that the court had earlier dismissed a similar bail application that was brought before it and ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.
He said no evidence was shown to convince the court why it should depart from its earlier ruling.
Justice Nwite rejected Kyari’s application and approved that the NDLEA proceed with the prosecution of both Kyari and his co-defendants in the matter.
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