Court Dismisses Abba Kyari’s No-Case Submission in NDLEA Drug Trafficking Trial
By Passman Akpos
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed the no-case submission filed by suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, and his two brothers in the criminal case instituted against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling delivered during the resumed sitting, held that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against Kyari and the co-defendants sufficient to warrant them entering a defence. The judge noted that the evidence presented by the NDLEA could not be dismissed at this stage of the trial.
Kyari, a former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), alongside his brothers and four others, is facing charges bordering on drug trafficking, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. The NDLEA alleged that the defendants were involved in tampering with cocaine exhibits recovered from drug suspects and attempted to bribe an NDLEA official with $61,000 to facilitate the release of seized substances.
Following the court’s ruling, the defence team, led by senior advocate Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), expressed disappointment and indicated plans to challenge the decision at the appellate level.
Prosecution counsel Joseph Sunday, on his part, welcomed the ruling, describing it as a victory for justice and a reaffirmation that “no one is above the law.”
Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter for the defendants to open their defence in the next sitting.
The case, which has attracted national attention since Kyari’s dramatic arrest in 2022, continues to test the Nigerian justice system’s resolve in tackling alleged corruption and misconduct within law enforcement agencies.
