Mohammed Shosanya
The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari will still remain in prison,despite being granted bail on Thursday by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice James Omotosho had granted Kyari, a former head of the Nigeria Police Response Team (IRT), bail in the tune of N50million after spending some months in prison.
But,Kyari wont enjoy freedom now as a sister court has refused to extend bail to him.
He and two of his siblings were charged before Justice Omotosho, after being accused of failing to declare their assets to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The NDLEA had filed the 24-count charge marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022, against Kyari and his two siblings – Mohammed Baba Kyari and Ali Kyari.
In a ruling on Thursday, Justice Omotosho granted conditional bail to Kyari with two sureties in like sum.
He added that the sureties must have property worth N25million within the court’s jurisdiction, among other conditions.
He held that he was enthusiastic to grant Kyari bail because he did not escape when he had the chance to do so during an attack on Kuje Prison on July 5, 2022.
According to the judge, the majority of inmates at the Correctional escaped during the attack but Kyari and some others did not escape.
Justice Omotosho said Kyari’s refusal to escape, proves that he is willing to face the allegations against him and not jump bail.
The judge also noted that the allegations against Kyari are bailable.
But,the judge held that even when Kyari meets the conditions, the endorsement of his release warrant is subject to developments in a sister-case in which he is being tried with four others on alleged involvement in dealing illicit drugs.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja, who is handling the charge didn’t grant bail to Kyari and his co-defendants.
He is being prosecuted before Justice Nwite on cocaine-related charges alongside four members of his former police unit, the Intelligence Response Unit (IRT).
The four other police officers are: Sunday Ubua, an assistant commissioner of police; Bawa James, an assistant superintendent of police; Simon Agirgba, an inspector, and John Nuhu, also an inspector.
Two civilians, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, were also arrested over the charges at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Enugu State, have been jailed by the court after they pleaded guilty.
