Abba Kyari, a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, has been released from the Kuje Correctional Centre in the Federal Capital Territory after spending 27 months in detention.
His release follows a series of legal battles and a recent court decision granting him bail.
Kyari was initially detained on February 14, 2022, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for alleged involvement with an international drug cartel.
He was arraigned on March 7, 2022 along with four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT)—Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu.
Additionally, two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also charged.
While Kyari and the IRT members pleaded not guilty to the charges, Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were subsequently convicted.
Despite multiple applications, Kyari’s requests for bail were repeatedly denied until a recent decision by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
On May 22, 2024, Emeka Nwite (Judge) granted Kyari bail to allow him to conclude the burial rites of his mother, Yachilla Kyari, who died on May 5.
As part of his bail conditions, Kyari was required to deposit his passport with the court and report to the nearest NDLEA office during the bail period.
The court scheduled May 31, 2024, for the hearing on Kyari’s main application for bail related to the drug trafficking charges.
Confirming the release, Adamu Duza, spokesperson of the Nigerian Correctional Service of the Federal Capital Territory Command, stated on Friday night, “DCP Kyari has perfected his bail conditions and has since been released today.”
The next steps in Kyari’s legal battle will unfold at the scheduled hearing later this month
