Abba Kyari takes federal government to court seeking bail claiming he is diabetic

ASSISTANT Police Commissioner Abba Kyari has dragged the federal government to court seeking bail from National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) custody on the grounds of ill health claiming he is diabetic.

On Monday February 14,  Mr Kyari, who headed the Nigeria Police Force's Intelligence Response Team (IRT), was arrested over his alleged links with an international drug cartel. NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, said Mr Kyari is a member of a cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria pipeline.

Mr Kyari is currently being interrogated but claiming his innocence, the policeman one once dubbed Supercop, has filed a lawsuit with the Federal High Court in Abuja. In his suit, Mr Kyari is seeking to compel the NDLEA to grant him bail on health grounds, pending the hearing and determination of his fundamental right enforcement application.

Speaking through his lawyer, Cynthia Ikena, Mr Kyari claimed to be suffering from diabetes and hypertension and asked the court to order the NDLEA to release him. However, Justice Inyang Ekwo noted that the suit contained some averments that would require the response of the federal government.

Justice Ekwo said: “Upon studying the process of the applicant and averments in support thereon, I am of the opinion that the respondent should be put on notice." He ordered that all the relevant processes should be served on the federal government, which was cited as the sole respondent and adjourned the case till February 24 for hearing.

According to the NDLEA, Mr Kyari contacted one of its officers in Abuja and struck a deal to secure the release of a total of 25kg seized cocaine, offering a $61,400 bribe to officers who played along until his arrest. Nigeria's inspector-general of police Usman Baba, corroborated the NDLEA’s findings, saying there is incontrovertible evidence indicting Mr Kyari in the drug crimes.

On July 31, 2021, Mr Kyari was suspended by the Police Service Commission after the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US indicted him for his alleged role in a $1m scam perpetrated by Internet fraudster Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi. According to the FBI, Hushpuppi paid Mr Kyari N8m or $20,600 to arrest and detain co-conspirator Chibuzor Vincent.