DCP Abba Kyari, the embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, pleaded with the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday to be released on bail, claiming that his life was in danger. Kyari is currently in front of Justice Emeka Nwite on a drug trafficking charge.
The suspended supercop entered the plea through his team of lawyers, led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, at the resumption trial.
Kyari told the court that he felt unsafe at the Kuje Correctional Center, where he was living with hardened criminals at the time.
During his motion for reconsideration of his client’s application, Ikpeazu pleaded with the court to consider the new application while the charge against him is resolved.
He went on to say that his plea was necessary because of the nature of the assignments he (Kyari) was assigned while performing his duties as a police officer.
The defense lawyer went on to say that some of the inmates on remand at the Kuje Correctional Center were people who were apprehended thanks to Kyari’s team at the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
He also pleaded with the court to allow the release on bail of three other police officers, ACP Sunday J. Ubia, Insp. Simon Agirigba, and Insp. John Nuhu, who are all on trial for the same alleged crime.
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However, the third defendant in the case, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Bawa James, did not join them in filing the application.
In response, Mr. Sunday Joseph, counsel for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), urged the court to deny the defendants’ bail request.
The matter was originally scheduled for a review of the facts of the case involving two self-confessed drug traffickers, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwane, who were linked to the suspended DCP, Kyari, Joseph insisted.
Both Umeibe and Ezenwanne were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu while attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country. They were cited as the 6th and 7th Defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022.
Recall that they, along with Kyari, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking during their arraignment on March 7.
Kyari had argued that reviewing the facts of the case or sentencing Umeibe and Ezenwanne while his trial was still ongoing would be prejudicial to him.
He also drew the court’s attention to the fact that both Umeibe and Ezenwanne were mentioned in some counts in the charge against him and the other accused cops.
The court had previously ruled on Kyari’s objections, with the Judge stating that the facts of the case against Umeibe and Ezenwanne would be reviewed.
Kyari and his police co-defendants stated at the resumption of the proceedings that they have appealed the ruling to the Court of Appeal.
They also asked the court to temporarily halt the trial while they await the outcome of the appeal, an application that the prosecution opposed, accusing the defendants of attempting to delay the trial in a criminal case. The case has been postponed until June 14 to allow the defendants to file a new bail application.
