Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, was released from Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory on Friday after spending 27 months in detention.
Kyari had been detained since February 14, 2022, following his arrest by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for alleged involvement with an international drug cartel.
Kyari, along with four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu, was arraigned on March 7, 2022. Two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also charged in the case. While Kyari and the IRT members pleaded not guilty, Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were subsequently convicted.
Despite multiple bail applications, Kyari’s requests were consistently denied until a recent decision by a Federal High Court in Abuja. On May 22, 2024, Judge Emeka Nwite granted Kyari bail to allow him to conclude the burial rites of his mother, Yachilla Kyari, who died on May 5.
As part of his bail conditions, Kyari was required to deposit his passport with the court and report to the nearest NDLEA office during the bail period. The court scheduled May 31, 2024, for the hearing on Kyari’s main application for bail regarding the drug trafficking charges.
Adamu Duza, spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service of the Federal Capital Territory Command, confirmed Kyari’s release to our correspondent on Friday night.
Duza stated, “DCP Kyari has perfected his bail conditions, and has since been released today.”
Kyari’s release marks a significant development in a case that has drawn widespread attention and scrutiny. The forthcoming hearing will determine the next steps in the legal proceedings against him.