Abba Kyari, a suspended deputy commissioner of police, and six others accused of illegal cocaine dealing, have arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja, ahead of their arraignment.
The National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on February 28, filed an eight-count charge bordering on unlawfully dealing with and tampering with cocaine.
Mr Kyari and his alleged accomplices were brought to the court at 8:12 a.m in a Black Hiace bus on Monday under tight security by NDLEA operatives.
The anti-narcotics agency also accused Mr Kyari, in a count which features only him as the sole defendant, of attempting to obstruct the NDLEA and its authorised officers by offering $61,400 to a senior anti-narcotics operative as an inducement to prevent the testing of the 17.55kg of cocaine.
According to the NDLEA, four of Mr Kyari’s co-defendants are police officers belonging to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), a police unit that was being led by him until he was suspended following the charges filed against him in the U.S. last year.
The four IRT operatives charged along with Mr Kyari are — Sunday J. Ubua, an assistant commissioner of police; Bawa James, an assistant superintendent of police; Simon Agirgba, an inspector; John Nuhu, also an inspector.
The other co-defendants are Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.
U.S. authorities had last year named Mr Kyari among five alleged conspirators of Ramon Abass a.k.a Huspuppi, an Instagram celebrity, in a $1.1 million fraud perpetrated against a Qatari businessperson.
This development has compelled Nigeria’s Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami, to file extradition charges against Mr Kyari at the Federal High Court in Abuja last week.
The four IRT operatives charged along with Mr Kyari are Sunday J. Ubua, an assistant commissioner of police; Bawa James, an assistant superintendent of police; Simon Agirgba, an inspector; John Nuhu, also an inspector.
The other co-defendants are Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.
The two non-police officers among the defendants – Messrs Umeibe and Ezenwanne – were accused of conspiring with others at large, and importing 21.35kg of cocaine into Nigeria.
The court is expected to commence sitting at 9:00 a.m.
