Abuja, Nigeria – Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari has been released from the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory after 27 months in detention.
Kyari was initially detained on February 14, 2022, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over allegations of involvement with an international drug cartel.
Kyari, along with four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT)—Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu—was formally arraigned on March 7, 2022. Two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were apprehended at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also charged. While Kyari and his IRT colleagues pleaded not guilty, Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were subsequently convicted.
Despite numerous applications for bail, Kyari’s requests were consistently denied until a recent decision by the Federal High Court in Abuja. On May 22, 2024, Judge Emeka Nwite granted Kyari bail to enable him to complete the burial rites of his mother, Yachilla Kyari, who passed away on May 5.
As part of his bail conditions, Kyari was required to surrender his passport to the court and report to the nearest NDLEA office throughout the bail period. The court has scheduled a hearing for May 31, 2024, to address Kyari’s primary bail application concerning the drug trafficking charges.
Adamu Duza, spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service of the Federal Capital Territory Command, confirmed on Friday night that Kyari met his bail conditions and was released. “DCP Kyari has perfected his bail conditions and has since been released today,” Duza stated.
The release of Kyari marks a significant development in a high-profile case that has garnered widespread attention. The upcoming court hearing will determine the next steps in the legal proceedings related to the drug trafficking charges against him.
