Court Clears Abba Kyari: Federal High Court Throws Out 23 NDLEA Charges, Slams Evidence as “Watery”

Follow

( 0 Followers )

X

Follow

E-mail : *

Follow Unfollow

The Federal High Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari and his two brothers, Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari, of all 23 counts related to alleged non-declaration of assets brought against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Delivering the judgment on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its allegations beyond reasonable doubt. The judge described the evidence presented by the NDLEA as “watery,” “gravely doubtful,” and lacking credible proof linking the disputed assets directly to the suspended police officer.

According to the court, the prosecution did not provide concrete documentation such as property title records, financial statements, or other verifiable evidence that could clearly establish ownership of the assets allegedly concealed by Kyari.

The NDLEA had accused the defendants of failing to fully declare ownership of several high-value properties in locations including Fountain Estate in Karsana, Asokoro, as well as properties in Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State. The charges also included allegations of conspiracy, false affidavit declarations, and attempts to conceal property origins under provisions of the NDLEA Act and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.

During the trial, Kyari maintained that some of the properties in Borno State were inherited from his late father, an explanation the prosecution was unable to effectively disprove during the proceedings.

Justice Omotosho also criticized the decision to include Kyari’s brothers in the alleged conspiracy, stating that the claims against them were unsubstantiated and unsupported by credible evidence.

“The case presented is gravely doubtful and lacks substance,” the judge stated while delivering the ruling. “Consequently, the defendants are discharged and acquitted on all counts.”

The decision marks a major legal victory for Kyari, who once headed the elite Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force and was widely known as Nigeria’s “super cop” before his dramatic fall from grace.

Kyari has been under intense legal and public scrutiny since 2022, when he was suspended and later arrested over allegations linked to drug trafficking and misconduct.

Following Thursday’s ruling, reactions quickly spread across Nigerian social media platforms, with supporters celebrating the judgment as proof that criminal accusations must be supported by strong and verifiable evidence.

However, legal experts have emphasized that the acquittal applies strictly to the assets declaration case.

The NDLEA has clarified that Kyari still faces a separate criminal trial involving alleged cocaine trafficking and related offenses, which is currently before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Proceedings in that case are scheduled to continue on March 16, 2026.

For now, the court’s decision represents a significant moment in the long-running legal saga surrounding the suspended police officer, highlighting the importance of evidentiary standards in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.