Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a bail of N50 million to the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari. However, the bail comes with several stringent conditions, including a connection to a drug trafficking case filed against Kyari by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a different court.
The ruling was made in the case (FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022) initiated by the NDLEA, which charged Kyari and his two siblings, Mohammed Baba Kyari and Ali Kyari, with 24 counts related to alleged failure to declare their assets.
Justice Omotosho stated that all the allegations against Kyari are bailable and that he does not pose a flight risk. The judge pointed out that Kyari demonstrated his willingness to face trial when he declined to escape from Kuje prisons during the jailbreak incident in July 2022.
The bail conditions set by the court require Kyari to provide two sureties in the sum of N25 million each. The sureties must own properties in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and must present their international passports and bank statements to the court.
However, the execution of the bail is subject to developments in the drug trafficking case being heard by Justice Emeka Nwite, where the NDLEA is prosecuting Kyari and other police officers.
In a separate report, it was mentioned that Kyari’s bail application was struck out by Justice Nwite for lacking merit.
The case has been adjourned to October 18 for the continuation of the trial.
The NDLEA had previously arraigned Kyari and several members of his team, as well as two civilians, on charges related to drug trafficking. The civilians pleaded guilty and were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for possessing 21.25kg of cocaine.
