Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari has tendered before a Federal High Court in Abuja a video allegedly showing operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) assisting drug traffickers at airports.
Kyari is being tried alongside other officers of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT): ACP Sunday Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspectors Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu, as well as ASP John Umoru, who is said to be at large, over drug-related offences.
The NDLEA had also, in 2022, arraigned Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne for the same offence. They were later convicted and sentenced by the court after pleading guilty.
Kyari’s defence witness from the Force Headquarters, Inspector El-John Nwoke, narrated how the police arrested the convicts at the Enugu Airport with a 21.55kg consignment of cocaine.
While being led in evidence by defence counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), the witness testified that the convicted traffickers told him they had long operated in the drug trade under the cover of NDLEA officials.
According to him, they claimed they had been cleared by the agency on the day of their arrest and were surprised when the police arrested them.
In the 27-minute video recorded by the police on January 20, 2022, one of the convicts, Ezenwanne, said: “I am aware it was cocaine” and “this is the second time I am carrying cocaine.”
He added that officials usually did not search them thoroughly on arrival and would ignore suspicious items because they were aware of their movements.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case to May 20 and 21.
Kyari was recently discharged and acquitted alongside his two brothers in a separate case of false asset declaration.
