At least 20 lawyers have indicated interest to defend the suspended DCP Abba Kyari in a suit filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
Musa Shafiu, a legal practitioner, speaking on behalf of other lawyers, disclosed this to newsmen Wednesday, 9 March, 2022.
TheFact Nigeria reports that the NDLEA, through its Director, Prosecution and Legal Services, Joseph Sunday, had, on Monday, 7 March, arraigned Kyari, alongside six others, including four suspended officers of IRT, on an eight-count charge. Kyari, who had denied his involvement in counts one to four and eight of the charges preferred against him is facing trial on drug-related offences.
Shafiu, disclosed that Kyari’s team of lawyers was made up of four Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, who would represent Kyari and his co-defendant in the trial which would commence before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court, Abuja. He added that Kyari filed the motion to seek for the enforcement of his fundamental rights.
According to Shafiu, Kyari expressed readiness to appear in court to answer any charge against him “because the allegation upon which he was arrested and detained is a trumped-up allegation without sufficient proof”.
The lawyer further disclosed that the decision to support Kyari, formerly the head of Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, was also premised on the sacrifices the suspended DCP had made for the country in the area of security, adding that Kyari had distinguished himself in areas of serving his fatherland as a police officer, with the arrest of many high-profile criminals across the country.
He averred that Kyari’s “good work and dedication to the country is far more than his shortcoming.”
The other four members of the IRT, in the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022, pleaded not guilty to the counts. They are ACP Sunday J. Ubia, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba and Insp. John Nuhu.
On the other hand, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, the two alleged drug traffickers that were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, pleaded guilty to the counts levelled against them.
