NDLEA says drug trafficking case against Abba Kyari still active, court hearing set for March 16

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has clarified that its drug trafficking case against suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, remains very much active and is proceeding separately from a recent ruling that discharged him in a different matter.

The agency confirmed that the case is scheduled to resume on March 16 before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

This clarification follows a ruling by Justice James Omotosho, who dismissed a 23-count charge against Kyari related to alleged money laundering and failure to declare assets.

Speaking with our Correspondent on Thursday in Abuja, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, stressed that the judgment should not be misinterpreted as an end to Kyari’s legal battles.

According to Babafemi, the ruling applies strictly to the money laundering and asset declaration charges, while the substantive drug trafficking case is still pending before Justice Nwite.

He emphasized that the drug-related trial will continue as planned.

Babafemi also disclosed that the agency’s legal team has been directed to obtain the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment delivered by Justice Omotosho to guide their next steps. He added that the NDLEA would review the details of the ruling before deciding whether to appeal the court’s decision to discharge Kyari in the asset declaration case.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to following due legal process in prosecuting the drug case.

Kyari, a former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force, is currently being prosecuted by the NDLEA over his alleged involvement in drug trafficking. The March 16 hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected to mark the next phase of that trial.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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