Crime
Nigeria: NDLEA’s request to detain Abba Kyari and 6 others for 2 weeks was Granted by the Court
By Derrick Bangura.
A Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria, presided over by Justice Zainab Dimka Abubakar, has granted the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) request to detain embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari and six others under investigation for their role in a 25-kilogram cocaine deal for two weeks.
On Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022, the court issued the ruling in response to the anti-narcotics agency’s case, which was defended by its Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, Mr. Sunday Joseph.
The Agency had in the application dated 15th February 2022 in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2022 sought the leave of the court to detain the suspects in NDLEA custody for 14 days pending the conclusion of investigation.
Suspects affected by the order include: DCP Abba Kyari; ACP Sunday Ubia; ASP James Bawa; Inspector Simon Agirigba; Inspector John Nuhu; Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne.
In an affidavit supporting the motion, the NDLEA stated that the 6th and 7th respondents (Umeibe and Ezenwanne) confessed upon their arrest in Enugu that they imported the seized cocaine through Addis-Ababa to Enugu on 19th January, 2022.
It further disclosed that “the 1st to 5th respondents (Kyari, Ubia, Bawa, Agirigba and Nuhu) are police officers who carried out the arrest of the 6th and 7th respondents and transferred them to NDLEA for further investigation.
“That investigation by the NDLEA revealed that the 1st to 5th respondents have compromised the whole operation and were involved in the importation, trafficking, and dealing and also tampered with the recovered cocaine.
“That the 1st to 5th respondents have volunteered their statements upon preliminary investigation, which has shown complicity in the case. Copies of statements are hereby attached and marked Annexure NDLEA 4,5,6,7,8, & 9 respectively.
“That the inquiry would take time because there are many aspects to the case that need to be followed up on and unraveled.” That the probe is expected to spread to other countries, where some people linked to transnational drug trafficking are believed to be living.
“In light of the foregoing, the Applicant has applied to the Honourable Court for a 14-day detention order in the first instance to enable it to carry out its investigation satisfactorily.”
Justice Zainab Dimka Abubakar granted the NDLEA’s request and stated that after the 14-day detention order expires, the agency should either seek an extension, file a charge against the suspects, or arraign them in court.
On Monday, February 14th, police officials apprehended Kyari and four other police officers and handed them over to the NDLEA, five hours after the agency had declared him wanted in connection with the drug operation.
The Anambra State Police Command has foiled a cult initiation ceremony in Nawfia, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
Spokesperson for the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Awka.
According to Ikenga, the operation was carried out by police operatives around 9:30am on June 15, leading to the arrest of six suspects at the scene.
Recovered during the raid were one Jojef pump action gun, two cartridges, and a golden-coloured Lexus SUV with registration number ATN 202 AE. Other items found include two cutlasses, two scissors, a cap bearing the inscription of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity, charms, and substances suspected to be hard drugs.
“They are currently undergoing police interrogation to get more insight into their modus operandi, after which the case will be charged to court on the conclusion of the investigations,” Ikenga stated.
The police spokesperson reassured residents of the command’s unwavering commitment to fighting cultism and other related crimes across the state.
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Wednesday, remanded two persons, Olaitan Fasasi and Kehinde Tobiloba in a correctional facility over alleged attempted murder.
Fasasi, 40, and Tobiloba, 26, whose addresses were not provided, are being charged with conspiracy, attempted murder and membership of a secret society.
The Magistrate, Mr L.A Owolabi, did not take the plea of the defendants for want of jurisdiction.
Owolabi directed the police to forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
He thereafter adjourned the case until May 31 for mention.
The Prosecutor, Josephine Ikhayere, told the court that the defendants committed the offences at about 5.02p.m on Feb. 15, at Mushin, Lagos.
She said that Fasasi, Tobiloba and others now at large, attempted to commit murder by shooting at a resident, Alfred Ademola.
“They armed themselves with a locally made gun. They belong to Eiye Confraternity, a group proscribed by law,”, she said.
Ikhayere said that the offences contravened Sections 230(1) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2012.
He said that the actions of the defendants also contravened Section 2(3)(a)(b)(c)(d) of the unlawful societies and Cultism Law of Lagos State Law.
An Area Court in Jos, on Tuesday, sentenced one Jeptha John, to three months imprisonment for stealing a Redmi mobile phone valued at N165, 000.
The judge, Shawomi Bokkos, sentenced the John after he pleaded guilty to the offence.
The judge, however, gave the convict an option to pay N20, 000 fine and N50, 000 restitution to the complainant.
Bokkos said that if the convict defaulted in paying the restitution, three months should be added to his sentence to make it six months imprisonment.
Earlier, the police prosecutor, Insp Monday Dabit, told the court that the case was reported at the B Division Police Station, Jos, on Dec. 1, 2024, by Ms Nerat Danjuma.
He said that the complainant alleged that the defendant trespassed into her house and stole her mobile phone valued at N165, 000.
The prosecutor further told the court that the offence contravened the Plateau State Penal Code, Law of Northern Nigeria.
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