BREAKING: Federal High Court Clears Abba Kyari, Faults NDLEA Prosecution
The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari and his two brothers, Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari, in the high-profile asset declaration case filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Details obtained by PulseNets indicate that the judgment was delivered by Justice James Omotosho on Wednesday in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022, bringing an end to the legal proceedings involving 23 counts of alleged asset non-declaration against the defendants.
The NDLEA had accused the former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and his siblings of failing to fully disclose certain assets, including three residential properties located at EFAB Metropolitan Estate, Abuja. Prosecutors had alleged that the houses were linked to Abba Kyari but were not properly declared in official asset declaration forms.
However, the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish the allegations beyond reasonable doubt.
Findings from the judgment showed that the NDLEA could not provide credible evidence confirming that the three disputed houses were directly owned by Kyari. The court also accepted the asset declarations submitted by the suspended police officer, which indicated that the properties belonged to his wife.
The court held that the declaration made by Kyari was accurate and did not amount to false disclosure under the law.
In a judgment that reportedly lasted close to three hours, Justice Omotosho criticised the manner in which the case was handled by the anti-drug agency.
“The approach of the prosecution in this matter was too hasty and appears more like persecution than legitimate prosecution,” the judge stated while delivering the ruling.
The court consequently dismissed all the charges against the defendants, ruling that the evidence presented by the NDLEA was insufficient to sustain allegations of asset concealment, disguised ownership, or related offences.
PulseNets learnt that the case first emerged in 2022 during a period of intense scrutiny surrounding Kyari following his suspension from the Nigeria Police Force. The NDLEA had alleged that several properties worth millions of naira, including houses in Abuja and Maiduguri, were not properly declared by the senior police officer.
After reviewing the submissions and evidence presented during the trial, the court concluded that there was no verifiable proof linking the disputed assets to Kyari in a manner that violated asset declaration laws.
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The ruling is widely seen as a significant legal victory for the suspended police officer, who has consistently maintained his innocence since the case began.
PulseNets reported that although the judgment resolves the NDLEA asset declaration case, other matters involving Kyari, including issues relating to his status within the Nigeria Police Force and separate investigations linked to earlier controversies, remain unresolved.
