Abba Kyari Remains in Custody as Appeal Court Rejects Bail Plea

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Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has been denied bail by the Court of Appeal in Abuja. This comes after Kyari’s appeal seeking to reverse an earlier ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which refused to grant his request for bail, was dismissed.

Justice Stephen Adah, who read the unanimous judgement of a three-man panel, held that Kyari’s appeal was without merit. He also stated that given the nature of the charges pending against Kyari and others before the trial court, such requests for bail needed to be handled with caution. Justice Adah further held that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who earlier rejected bail to Kyari, appropriately exercised his discretion in refusing to grant Kyari’s bail.

Kyari, who is a former head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, is currently facing prosecution by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. He and four members of the IRT, namely ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba, and Inspector John Nuhu, were charged before a Federal High Court in Abuja with conspiracy to deal in 17.55kg of cocaine. Additionally, they were charged with dealing in cocaine without lawful authority, conspiracy to tamper with cocaine, and unlawfully tampering with the 21.35kg of cocaine seized from two convicted drug dealers.

The trial court had earlier denied Kyari’s bail application, stating that he was a flight risk and that his release could jeopardize ongoing investigations. Kyari had approached the Court of Appeal, seeking a reversal of the trial court’s decision, but this appeal has now been dismissed.

Following the dismissal of his appeal, Kyari will remain in custody until the conclusion of his trial. The case has generated significant interest, with many Nigerians closely following the proceedings. The charges against Kyari and his colleagues carry significant penalties, including lengthy prison terms and heavy fines.

The decision of the Court of Appeal to deny Kyari’s bail application will likely have significant implications for the case. It remains to be seen how the trial court will proceed with the case and what impact Kyari’s continued detention will have on the ongoing investigations. However, the decision of the Court of Appeal serves as a reminder that the Nigerian justice system is committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that those accused of crimes are held accountable for their actions.