The Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to grant bail to Abba Kyari, a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police.
In his ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite stated that the decision to grant bail lies within the court’s discretion.
News About Nigeria reports that this discretion is in accordance with Section 161 (2) of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Justice Nwite noted that Kyari had not provided sufficient evidence to justify granting him bail.
Kyari’s request for bail was therefore denied based on this lack of evidence.
He explained that bail is typically granted if the alleged offences carry a sentence of two years, per Section 162 of the ACJA.
However, in Kyari’s case, the charges could result in a maximum sentence of 25 years, making bail inappropriate.
Previously, on May 22nd, the judge had granted Kyari a temporary two-week bail to allow him to attend his mother’s burial rites.
This period was later extended by a week following Kyari’s application for an extension.
Kyari met the bail conditions and was released on June 1st.
During today’s proceedings, Justice Nwite declined to extend the earlier bail order but agreed to accelerate the hearing of the case.
Kyari was detained following his arrest on February 14, 2022, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for alleged involvement with an international drug cartel.
He, along with four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team—Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu—were arraigned on March 7, 2022.
Two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also charged.
While Kyari and the IRT members pleaded not guilty, Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were convicted.
