The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, ordered the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, and his co-defendants to enter their defence in the charge preferred against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Justice Emeka Nwite, in separate rulings on their no-case submission applications, held that a prima facie case had been made out against Mr Kyari and other police officers in the charge.
Mr Kyari, the 1st defendant and a former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the police was arrested on 14 February 2022 after the NDLEA declared him wanted over alleged links to an international drug cartel.
The suspended DCP and four members of the IRT – Sunday Ubua (ACP), Bawa James (ASP), Simon Agirgba (Inspector) and John Nuhu (Inspector) are being prosecuted on charges of conspiracy to deal in 17.55kg of cocaine.
They are also accused of dealing in cocaine without lawful authority, conspiracy to tamper with cocaine and unlawfully tampering with the 21.35kg of cocaine seized from two convicted drug dealers.
On 7 March 2022, Mr Kyari and others were arraigned alongside Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, the two suspected drug traffickers who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu by the officers.
Upon arraignment, Mr Kyari and four other defendants pleaded not guilty.
However, Messrs Umeibe and Ezenwanne, the 6th and 7th defendants, pleaded guilty and were convicted accordingly.
Although Mr Kyari and others had, at one time, applied for bail, their application was rejected.
After the NDLEA closed its case, each of the defendants opted for a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not adduced evidence on which the court could convict them.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Nwite held that with the state of evidence led so far by the prosecution, he was convinced that a prima facie case had been established against the defendants to require them to put forward their defence.
Mr Nwite held the same view in the five separate rulings he delivered on Friday.
In a ruling on Mr Kyari’s application, the judge held that “assuming without conceding that the defendants were charged with less amount of cocaine that is lesser than 17.55 kg or more than that, it does not take away the fact that there is prima facie evidence that the 1st defendant dealt or tampered with cocaine.”
He held that the argument of the 1st defendant’s lawyer on the need to sufficiently prove the amount of cocaine on the face of the charge is not the requirement of the law.
He also held that there was nothing on the face of the section of the law, on which the defendants were charged, that states or provides different punishment as it relates to the quantity or amount of cocaine, whether the charge provides for one kilogramme or more.
According to the judge, in view of the foregoing, I am of the view and I so hold that a prima facie case has been made out against the 1st defendant in the five count charge and I hereby order him to enter his defence in all the five counts.
The judge issued a similar order in relation to the other four defendants.
He consequently adjourned the matter until 21 May for the defendants to open their defence.
(NAN)
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