Kyari Reminded In Custody As He Pleaded Not Guilty Of Durg Trafficking
The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, and his co-defendants have been arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja today, March 7, 2022.
Kyari is facing several corrupt charges, including hard drug trafficking in Nigeria and a money laundering case involving Ramon Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi in the United States.
However, Mr. Kyari and four other police officers accused of the crime have pleaded not guilty to the eight drug trafficking-related counts brought against him by the NDLEA, while Chibuna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, two of Abba Kyari’s co-defendants in the alleged drug trafficking offence trial, have pleaded guilty to the charges.
Kyari is also expected to be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) until March 14 as Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the trial.
The charges they pleaded guilty to
Count five reads: “That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male adult and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 19th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
Count six reads: “That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 25th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to an punishable under section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count seven reads: “That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult and one IK, now at large, on the 25th January 2022, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly possessed 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
