There are more troubles ahead the embattled DCP Abba Kyari as an Abuja Federal High Court has granted an application by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to detain him and six others for two weeks for their alleged involvement in a 25kilograms cocaine deal.
The court, presided over by Justice Zainab Dimka Abubakar, gave the order following the application by the anti-narcotic agency, by its Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, Mr. Sunday Joseph, today.
The agency had, in the application dated 15 February, 2022, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2022, sought the leave of the court to detain the suspects in NDLEA custody for 14 days pending the conclusion of investigation.
Other suspects affected by the order include ACP Sunday J. Ubia; ASP James Bawa; Inspector Simon Agirigba; Inspector John Nuhu; Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alfonsus Ezenwanne.
In an affidavit supporting the motion, the NDLEA stated that the sixth and seventh respondents (Umeibe and Ezenwanne) confessed, upon their arrest in Enugu, that they imported the seized cocaine through Addis-Ababa to Enugu on 19 January, 2022.
It further disclosed that the first to fifth respondents (Kyari, Ubia, Bawa, Agirigba and Nuhu) are police officers who carried out the arrest of the sixth and seventh respondents and transferred them to NDLEA for further investigation.
“That investigation by the NDLEA revealed that the first to fifth respondents have compromised the whole operation and were involved in the importation, trafficking and dealing and also tampered with the recovered cocaine.
“That the first to fifth respondents have volunteered their statements upon preliminary investigation, which has shown complicity in the case. Copies of statements are hereby attached and marked Annexure NDLEA 4,5,6,7,8, & 9 respectively.
“That the investigation will take some time as there are complicated dimensions of the case that require follow-up and unravelling.
“That the investigation is likely to extend to foreign countries, where some people linked to this trans-national drug trafficking activities reside.
“That it is in line with the above that the Applicant is applying to the Honourable Court for a period of 14 days in the first instance to detain the respondents to enable it carry out its investigation successfully,” the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, stated in a statement.
In her ruling, Justice Zainab Dimka Abubakar granted the NDLEA’s prayer and directed that the agency should, at the expiration of the 14-day detention order either seek an extension, file a charge against the suspects or arraign them before the court.
Kyari and the four other police officers were arrested and handed over to NDLEA on Monday, 14 February by police authorities, five hours after the agency declared him wanted in connection with the drug deal.
