FG files fresh 24-count charges against Abba Kyari

The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed fresh 24-count charges against Abbah Kyari, the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police.

The charges were filed before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court following the uncovering of 14 assets belonging to Mr Kyari.

According to Punch, over N207 million and Є17,598 were discovered in Mr Kyari’s GTB, UBA and Sterling Bank accounts and various assets in Abuja and Borno state which include; shopping malls, residential estate, polo playground, lands and farmland belonging.

The charges

The fresh charges were filed by Joseph Sunday, NDLEA’s Director of Prosecution and Legal Services on August 30, 2022.

Some of the charges stated that Mr Kyari did not make full disclosure of his properties during investigations and that he disguised his ownership of some of the properties.

Mr Kyari’s two relatives were also joined as co-defendants in the suit. They are Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari.

One of the counts reads, “That you, DCP Abba Kyari, male, adult and you Mohammed Kyari, male, adult, on or about February 14, 2022, in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court in order to disguise the true ownership of the property situate at plot no. 33, Bama Road, GRA Extension, Maiduguri, Borno State, covered by certificate no. BO/4319 issued by Borno State Government by deposing to a false affidavit at the Federal High Court in suit no. FHC/NG/Cs/9/2022 and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, (as amended).”

The EFCC also filed fresh 24-count charges against Sunday Ubua, an Assistant Commissioner of Police who was Kyari’s former deputy and his co-defendant in the NDLEA case.

Count one read, “That You, Sunday Ubua, male, adult, on or about the 14th day of February, 2022, at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency headquarters, Port Harcourt Crescent, off Gombiya Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets in the NDLEA assets declaration firm by not disclosing your N100 million life insurance policy with First Bank of Nigeria Insurance Limited contrary to and punishable under section 35(3)(a) of the NDLEA Act, CAP N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

What you should know

• Kyari who is being detained at the Kuje correctional facility in Abuja is being prosecuted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) alongside four others over alleged drug trafficking offences.
• Other defendants in the suit include ACP Sunday Ubia, ASP James, Inspector Simon Agirigba and Inspector John Nuhu.
• On March 7, the NDLEA had arraigned Mr Kyari and the other defendants before the federal high court in Abuja.
• On February 21, Mr Kyari, in an ex-parte motion, had sought the court to grant him bail in liberal terms.
• Nairametrics had reported that Justice Nwite also denied Mr Kyari bail after NDLEA placed sufficient evidence before the court to refuse Kyari’s bail application.
• In its counter affidavit, NDLEA had described Kyari as a flight risk. It submitted that granting Kyari bail was not appropriate due to the facts and circumstances of the case.
• They alleged that Kyari might jump bail and interfere with evidence if granted bail. They, therefore, prayed the court to dismiss Kyari’s bail application.