Justice James Omotosho, presiding over a federal high court in Abuja, has granted bail to Abba Kyari, the former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) under the Inspector General of Police, who had been suspended from his position.
This decision comes after Kyari spent approximately 18 months in prison custody.During the court proceedings, it was highlighted by the Judge that Kyari and his team consciously chose not to escape when they had the opportunity to do so during an attack on Kuje Prison on July 5, 2022.
The Judge emphasized that Kyari’s decision not to flee, despite around 90 percent of the inmates taking advantage of the chaos to escape, demonstrates his willingness to confront any accusations made against him.
Moreover, the Judge stated that all the allegations brought against Kyari are eligible for bail, and he does not pose a significant risk of absconding.
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Consequently, the court granted him bail.
Following the court’s ruling, Barr Suleiman Shehu, a member of Kyari’s defense team, expressed satisfaction with the decision, describing it as a well-deserved triumph.
It is important to note that Kyari and several members of his team were taken into custody in February 2022 after being accused by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of tampering with drug exhibits.
The case took an unexpected turn when the NDLEA declared Kyari and some IRT members wanted for their alleged involvement in tampering with the evidence, subsequent to the IRT team’s arrest of Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne in January 2022 in connection with 21.25kg of cocaine.
The arrested suspects were then handed over to the NDLEA, along with the seized cocaine.
