Court grants Abba Kyari ₦50m bail after 18 months in prison

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, admitted the suspended DCP Abba Kyari to a ₦50 million in a charge filed against him and two others by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NDLEA had filed the 24-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022 against Kyari and two of his siblings; Mohammed and Ali in respect of which they were arraigned in May.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, granted conditional bail to Kyari in the sum of ₦50 million with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Omotosho also ordered that the sureties must have property worth ₦25 million each within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), among other conditions.

The judge held that even when Abba Kyari meets the bail conditions, the endorsement of his release warrant would be subject to development in a sister case pending before Justice Emeka Nwite in which he is being tried with four others on alleged drug deal.

Justice Omotosho said despite the Kuje Prison jailbreak by terrorists on July 5, 2022, Kyari refused to escape where about 90 per cent of the inmates escaped freely.

The judge said that the anti-narcotic agency did not controvert the argument.

He said failure to counter the submission was an admission by the NDLEA.

Besides, Omotosho held that the offence with which he was being charged was a bailable one.

NAN reports that Kyari had been denied bail twice in the other case pending before Justice Nwite.

His two siblings were earlier granted bail by Justice Omotosho.