DCP Abba Kyari alleges threat to life in prison, begs court for bail

Abba Kyari, suspended deputy commissioner of police (DCP), says his life is being threatened in Kuje prison.

A federal high court had on March 28 remanded Kyari and four others at a correctional centre after their bail application was refused.

At the court session on Thursday, Kyari and three of his co-defendants brought another application seeking bail.

Onyechi Ikpeazu, counsel to Kyari and Sunday Ubia, the second defendant, said the fresh application was necessitated due to the threats against the defendants.

He said his clients were remanded with criminals whom Kyari’s team had arrested.

He prayed the court to grant the application

However, Bawa James, the third defendant who is an assistant superintendent of police, did not file any application for bail.

Sunday Joseph, counsel for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), objected to the application for bail.

He said the hearing was originally slated for the review of facts of the case relating to two self-confessed drug traffickers, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwane, who were linked to the suspended DCP.

Umeibe and Ezenwanne, the 6th and 7th defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022, were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu while attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country.

Upon arraignment on March 7, they pleaded guilty to the charge.

Kyari had argued that revisiting the facts of the case or punishing Umeibe and Ezenwanne while his trial was still proceeding would be harmful to him.

He also called the court’s attention to the fact that both defendants were referenced in certain counts in the accusation against him and the other accused cops.

The court had, in a ruling delivered on April 28, dismissed Kyari’s objections and held that it would go ahead to review facts of the case against Umeibe and Ezenwanne.

On Thursday, Kyari and his police co-defendants said they had gone to the court of appeal to challenge the ruling.

They further filed a motion for the court to temporarily halt the trial pending the outcome of the appeal, an application that was opposed by the prosecution which accused the defendants of attempting to stay proceeding in a criminal matter.

Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, adjourned the case to June 14 to hear the defendants’ fresh application for bail.