Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday refused to hear an application by the suspended anti-kidnapping chief DCP Abba Kyari, seeking bail from custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the grounds of ill health.
In an ex parte application brought before the court on Monday, Kyari through his counsel, Cynthia Ikenna, told the court that his health has deteriorated.
Ikenna asked the court to release Kyari, who is diabetic and hypertensive on bail, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The counsel said the substantive matter is a fundamental human right suit in which the embattled cop is challenging the allegations against him.
Justice Ekwo, however, ordered the applicant to put the respondents on notice.
Ekwo said, “Upon studying the process of the applicant and the averments in support of the application, I am of the opinion that the respondents be put on notice so they can answer to the averments. Therefore, the applicant is hereby ordered to put the respondents on notice of all the processes in this matter,” he held.
He adjourned the matter till Thursday for hearing of the application.
On February 14, 2022, NDLEA indicted Kyari in alleged drug trafficking and related offences.
The police authorities subsequently handed over Kyari to the anti-narcotics agency for prosecution over alleged links in drug trafficking after the NDLEA released damning photo and video evidence to nail Kyari.
The NDLEA said Kyari belonged to a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline.
The agency also said Kyari contacted one of its officers in Abuja and struck a deal to secure the release of a total of 25kg seized cocaine and offered $61,400 bribe to NDLEA officers who played along until his arrest.
The IGP Bala Alkali Usman, in a statement, corroborated the NDLEA’s findings, saying incontrovertible evidence indicted Kyari in the drug crimes.
Kyari was suspended in July 2021 for alleged involvement in a $1.1 million Internet fraud allegedly perpetrated by Hushpuppi and four others; AbdulRahman Juma (Abdul); Vincent Chibuzo (Kelly); Rukayat Fashola (Morayo); and Bolatito Agbabiaka (Bolamide).
Earlier, a four-man Special Investigation Panel headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Joseph Egbunike, had probed Kyari.
