Court Clears Abba Kyari of Asset Declaration Charges

Court Clears Abba Kyari of Asset Declaration Charges

A Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, of a 23-count charge bordering on alleged false asset declaration.

Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Thursday, ruling that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence linking Kyari to the properties he was accused of concealing.

The charges were filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) against Kyari and two of his brothers, who were accused of filing false affidavits to allegedly hide the ownership of certain landed properties.

In his decision, Justice Omotosho held that the anti-narcotics agency did not present credible documentary evidence to prove that the properties in question belonged to the suspended police officer.

The court specifically noted that the prosecution could not establish a clear link between Kyari and the disputed landed properties located in Fountain Estate in Kasana, as well as properties on Linda Choko Road in Asokoro, Abuja, and another in Maiduguri, Borno State.

According to the judge, ownership of landed property could be proven through traditional history, title documents, acts of possession, or possession through a related party. However, he said none of these legal requirements were satisfactorily demonstrated by the prosecution.

Justice Omotosho also accepted Kyari’s explanation that the Maiduguri property belonged to his late father and was inherited by him and his siblings.

The judge further ruled that the conspiracy allegations against Kyari’s brothers lacked evidential backing.

Consequently, the court discharged and acquitted all the defendants on the 23 counts.

Kyari, once regarded as one of Nigeria’s most decorated police officers and former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), has faced several legal challenges in recent years.

His troubles deepened in February 2022 when the NDLEA declared him wanted over alleged links to an international drug trafficking network. He was subsequently arrested on February 14, 2022, and handed over to the anti-drug agency for investigation.

The agency accused Kyari and some members of his police team of conspiring to deal in cocaine after two suspected drug traffickers were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu with about 25 kilograms of cocaine smuggled into the country from Ethiopia.

According to the NDLEA, Kyari and his team allegedly attempted to divert part of the seized drugs and tamper with the evidence by proposing that 15 kilograms of the cocaine be removed while only 10 kilograms would be used for prosecution.

The suspended police officer and several members of his team were later arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja in March 2022 on charges including conspiracy, obstruction, and dealing in about 17.55 kilograms of cocaine.

Kyari and the other officers pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The once celebrated police officer had earlier been suspended following allegations by United States authorities linking him to internet fraudster Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, in a separate investigation.

Despite the controversies surrounding him, Kyari has repeatedly maintained his innocence in the various allegations.

The latest ruling by the Federal High Court clearing him of the asset declaration charges represents a significant development in the long-running legal battles involving the embattled police officer.