Court Orders Abba Kyari, Co-Defendants To Enter Defence In Drug Trafficking Trial

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, and his co-defendants to enter their defence in their ongoing trial over alleged drug trafficking.

Naijaonpoint reports that the ruling was delivered on Friday by Justice Emeka Nwite, who dismissed the no-case applications filed by the defendants, stating that a prima facie case had been established against Kyari and his co-defendants.

Kyari was arrested on February 14, 2022, after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) declared him wanted for alleged involvement in an international drug cartel.

Alongside Kyari, four other individuals, including Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu, all members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), were arraigned on charges related to a conspiracy to deal in 17.55 kilograms of cocaine.

Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, two suspected drug traffickers, were also arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and added to the case.

While Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were convicted, Kyari and the four other IRT members pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Judge Orders Defence Following Prima Facie Case

During Friday’s court proceedings, the judge ruled on the no-case submissions filed by the defendants, who argued that the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence for a conviction.

However, Justice Nwite ruled that the NDLEA had presented enough evidence to establish a prima facie case against the defendants, compelling them to enter their defence.

In his ruling, Justice Nwite clarified that Kyari’s lawyer’s argument, which claimed that the NDLEA must prove the quantity of cocaine involved in the charge, was not a requirement under the law.

The judge stated that the law did not differentiate the punishment for varying quantities of cocaine, meaning the quantity specified in the charge did not alter the case’s validity.

Justice Nwite ordered Kyari to enter his defence on all five counts against him, as a prima facie case had been established. He issued a similar ruling for the four other defendants in the case.

The judge adjourned the case to May 21, 2025, for the defendants to begin presenting their defence in court.