By Desire Emmanuel
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday , March 5, discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, along with his two brothers in a 23-count charge brought against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The charges centred on alleged non-declaration of assets, particularly landed properties, as well as related accusations of conspiracy and swearing false affidavits to conceal property origins.
The court ruled that the NDLEA failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove the case.
Justice Omotosho described the prosecution’s evidence as “watery,” noting that no documents or proof linked Kyari to the disputed properties—including those in Fountain Estate, Kasa (listed under Ramatu Kyari), Linda Chuko Road in Asokoro, and in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The judge emphasised that ownership of landed properties can be established through traditional history, title documents, acts of possession, or possession by connection but the prosecution presented none of these. Kyari had insisted that properties in Borno State belonged to his late father and were inherited by him and his siblings.
The court further desc the inclusion of Kyari’s brothers in the conspiracy charge as being in bad faith, which the prosecution could not substantiate. It added that the defendants had served the country well and should not face persecution.
This acquittal pertains specifically to the non-declaration of assets and related financial charges pursued by the NDLEA. More details later…..
