On Friday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the bail application of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari. This ruling upheld an earlier decision by the Federal High Court in Abuja that had denied Kyari’s request for bail. Kyari had filed an appeal seeking to overturn the earlier ruling.
Justice Stephen Adah, who led the three-man panel, ruled unanimously that Kyari’s appeal lacked merit. The court emphasized the seriousness of the charges that Kyari faces and the need for caution in granting bail requests in such cases. The court held that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who had previously denied Kyari bail, had appropriately exercised his discretion.
Kyari is a former head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force. He is facing prosecution by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. Kyari and four members of the IRT – ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba, and Inspector John Nuhu – were charged before a Federal High Court in Abuja with conspiracy to deal in 17.55kg of cocaine. They were also charged with dealing in cocaine without lawful authority, conspiracy to tamper with cocaine, and unlawfully tampering with the 21.35kg of cocaine seized from two convicted drug dealers.
The case against Kyari and the other defendants has attracted significant attention in Nigeria and beyond. The dismissal of Kyari’s bail application is likely to prolong the legal proceedings and further intensify the scrutiny of the case.