New Telegraph

Alleged drug trafficking: Court okays 14 days further detention of Kyari, others

An Abuja High Court yesterday granted an application filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), seeking for permission to further detain the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari and six others, for 14 days.

 

The agency had premised its application on ground that the those it applied to further detain in its custody, are currently the subject of an ongoing investigation into their alleged complicity in drug trafficking.

Those to be detained along with Kyari are: Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Sunday Ubia; Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP Bawa James; Ininvestmentsspectors Simon Agirigba, John Nuhu as well as Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.

 

Trial Judge, Justice Zainab Abubakar gave the order after listening to the Director, Prosecution and Legal Services (NDLEA), Joseph.

Sunday who moved an ex-parte application to that effect. An affidavit in support of the motion ex-parte indicated that Kyari’s accomplices were arrested on January 19 at the Enugu international Airport and that they have admitted being drug couriers.

 

“The suspects were arrested upon their arrival from Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET917. “The arrest led to the recovery of substantial quantity of powdery substance suspected to be cocaine from the two narcotic couriers.

 

“The operation which was intelligence-driven, was undertaken by a Unit of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT),” NDLEA had in the application pleaded for more time to detain Kyari and others on the ground that the hard drug trafficking allegations against the suspect were complex and may require the agency traveling outside the shore of the country to make some clarifications on the international.

 

The agency further asked the court to grant the detention extension in the interest of justice to it and the suspects through diligent investigation. In a short ruling, Justice Abubakar ordered that Kyari and the six other suspects be detained for another 14 days in the first place and can come up with fresh request if needs warrant.

 

The judge, however, ordered that the 14 days further detention should start counting from February 22. The court added that the agency was at liberty to apply for an extension of the order, upon the expiration of the 14-day period.

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