Abba Kyari, a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, 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) for his alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking ring.
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Kyari, alongside four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT)—Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu—was formally charged on March 7, 2022.
Additionally, two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were apprehended at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also indicted in the case.
While Kyari and his IRT colleagues pleaded not guilty, Umeibe and Ezenwanne admitted guilt and were subsequently convicted.
Despite numerous bail applications, Kyari’s requests were consistently denied until a recent ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
On May 22, 2024, Judge Emeka Nwite granted Kyari bail to allow him to attend to the burial rites of his mother, Yachilla Kyari, who passed away on May 5.
As part of the bail conditions, Kyari was required to surrender his passport and report to the nearest NDLEA office during the bail period.
The court has set May 31, 2024, for the hearing of Kyari’s main 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 all bail conditions and was released earlier that day.
“DCP Kyari has perfected his bail conditions and has been released today,” Duza stated.
