Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, has accused the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of working with drug barons to import cocaine into Nigeria.
Abba Kyari made the claim in a court deposition to support his fundamental rights enforcement suit brought against the Federal government, to challenge his detention.
The embattled top cop claimed that he was framed by NDLEA while trying to help a whistleblower get his payment.
Kyari and four other police officers under the IRT are currently in the custody of NDLEA for attempting to bribe an NDLEA officer with $61,000 to facilitate the release of seized cocaine.
An affidavit filed by Kyari’s brother, One Mamman Nur, rehashed the claim stating that drugs were being shipped in from Ethiopia with the ‘knowledge of NDLEA officers’.
Kyari had in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/182/22, accused the NDLEA of assisting drug peddlers to ship in cocaine into the country, alleging that a corrupt officer of the agency framed him up after he went to demand for compensation for a whistleblower that gave information that led to the arrest of a suspect by the Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT.
He told the court that the said suspect had been shipping cocaine into the country from Ethiopia, using all the airports, “with the knowledge of the NDLEA officers”.
In an affidavit deposed to by one Muhammad Nur Usman, who identified himself as his younger brother, Kyari told the court that NDLEA officials usually cleared the drug baron “and even escort him from the airport to his destination”.
Narrating the circumstance that led to his present ordeal, Kyari, said: “That on that fateful day, the suspect as usual shipped drugs (cocaine) from Ethiopia to Enugu Airport. The officer of NDLEA cleared him within the airport, then officer of FIB-IRT arrested the suspect with the help of an information.
“That before the informant accepted to work with the officers of FIB-IRT, they both had an agreement to compensate the informant.
“That officers of FIB-IRT, having noticed that officers of NDLEA were the ones clearing the said suspect with his drugs (cocaine), they immediately took the suspect to NDLEA and also reported those officers involved in the act.
“That instead of the NDLEA to handle the matter accordingly and bring their officers involved to book, they decided to frustrate the informant, thereby refusing to compensate the informant.
“That it was at this juncture that the attention of the DCP Abba Kyari was called, who because the NDLEA officer involved is his friend, decided to intervene for the purpose of compensating the Informant.
“That the NDLEA officer who refused to compensate the informant was the one who framed DCP Abba Kyari up on a trump-up allegation that he was trying to bribe him.
“That the agent of the Respondent declared the Applicant wanted because of a mere allegation that he was trying to bribe an NDLEA officer without sufficient proof.
“That the Nigerian Police Force, based on the allegation of the Respondent arrested the Applicant on February 12, 2022, and handed over to the NDLEA.”
He maintained that his continued detention amounted to an infringement on his fundamental human rights.