An appeal filed by embattled former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, seeking the reversal of an earlier ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja refusing his request for bail has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, February 24, the three-member panel led by Justice Stephen Adah dismissed Kyari’s application on grounds that it lacked merit.
The court held that in view of the nature of the charges pending against him and the other defendants before the Federal High Court Abuja, such request for bail needed to be handled with caution. Justice Adah held that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who earlier rejected bail to Kyari, appropriately exercised his discretion in refusing to grant Kyari bail.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, is prosecuting Kyari, and four members of the IRT – ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba, and Inspector John Nuhu, before a Federal High Court in Abuja. They were charged with conspiracy to deal in 17.55kg of cocaine among others.
Kyari alone was also charged with attempting to obstruct officials of the NDLEA in the conduct of their activities by offering them bribes.