In a recent development, the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, was granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The presiding judge, Justice Kolawole Omotosho, imposed stringent conditions as part of the bail arrangement.
Following an application filed by the defendant, Justice Omotosho granted conditional bail to Kyari, setting the bail amount at N50 million with two sureties required to provide the same sum. The sureties must possess property valued at N25 million within the jurisdiction.
Additionally, Kyari and his sureties are required to surrender their international passports, statement of accounts, title deeds of the sureties’ properties, and recent passport photographs to the court registrar.
Justice Omotosho, while granting the application, noted that there was no evidence suggesting that Kyari was a flight risk. He highlighted that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) did not refute Kyari’s claim of being in Kuje prison during a recent prison break, where he had the opportunity to escape but did not.
The judge stated that the charges brought against Kyari and his co-defendants were bailable offenses. Further proceedings in the case have been adjourned to October 18, 2023.
Kyari has been in detention since his arrest in 2022. The arrest came after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) declared Kyari wanted for his alleged involvement in a 25kg cocaine deal. The agency accused Kyari, who is believed to be associated with fraudster Abass Olorunwa, popularly known as Hushpuppi, of being a member of an international drug cartel.
Consequently, Kyari was arrested and subsequently remanded in Kuje Prison, Abuja, following court orders. The Police initiated a panel to investigate the conduct of the former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police, resulting in his suspension from the force.
