After nearly two and a half years in custody, DCP Abba Kyari, the erstwhile commander of the Force Intelligence Response Team, has been granted a two-week reprieve by a Federal High Court in Abuja, allowing him temporary freedom.
The legal proceedings will continue on May 31, as the court has scheduled a hearing to decide on DCP Abba Kyari’s bail application, which stems from the drug-related charges brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following his arrest on February 14, 2022.
The former commander of the Force Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, is anticipated to finalize the burial ceremonies for his mother, Yachilla Kyari, in the coming days.
Yachilla Kyari, the matriarch of the Kyari family, passed away on May 5, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of 10 children, including Abba, her eldest son, who is now shouldering the responsibility of leading the family through this difficult time.
Despite Abba Kyari’s absence, the people of Borno State came out in droves to bid farewell to Yachilla, a respected matriarch, who was laid to rest according to Islamic traditions on the same day, in a poignant display of community solidarity.
Read also: Abba Kyari Is Safe In Our Custody― Correctional Service
The Police Service Commission took disciplinary action against Kyari and two top police officers, Sunday Ubua and James Bawa, in 2022, suspending them due to their alleged roles in a cocaine trade case.
“The Police Service Commission has suspended assistant commissioner of police, ACP Sunday Ubua and assistant superintendent of police, ASP James Bawa from the exercise of the powers and functions of their respective Offices with effect from Monday, 14th February 2022,” the PSC said in a statement.
Kyari found himself at the center of a deepening drug trafficking scandal, as the NDLEA publicly declared him a wanted individual, citing his alleged connections to a transnational drug network.
Femi Babalola, the NDLEA’s spokesperson, made a damning allegation against Kyari and his team, claiming they had arrested drug traffickers who smuggled 25kg of cocaine from Ethiopia but then embezzled 15kg of the confiscated substance.