Court grants Abba Kyari temporary bail to bury mother

The remanded former Commander of the Force Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, got a two-week bail on Tuesday to enable him to go home and conclude the burial rites of his mother, Yachilla Kyari, who died on May 5, 2024.

Justice Emeka Nwike of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted Kyari the two-week bail on compassionate grounds following an application by his legal team.

Kyari had been in detention since his arrest in February 2022.

The star police investigator was arrested for drug offences by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and had spent 27 months in detention.

In a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Nwite granted him temporary bail in the sum of N50m with one surety in like sum.

According to a copy of the ruling sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday, the judge ordered Kyari to submit his passport to the court.

He was also instructed to always report to any NDLEA formation nearest to him while the two-week bail lasted.

The judge said the surety must be a lawyer, who must be willing to deposit his Call to Bar certificate with the Deputy Registrar of the court.

Kyari is said to be the eldest son of his mother’s 10 children.

He was not able to attend his mother’s burial, which was done according to Islamic rites the same day she died.

His application for bail to attend the conclusion of burial rites was not opposed by the prosecution.

Justice Nwite had twice in the past refused to grant him bail.

Kyari appealed the refusal of his bail application but the Court of Appeal also declined the application.

Kyari was arrested on February 14, 2022, after the NDLEA declared him wanted over alleged links with an international drug cartel.

On March 7, 2022, he was arraigned alongside Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu who are members of the police Intelligence Response Team.

Others were Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne — two suspected drug traffickers who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

Upon arraignment, Kyari and four other defendants pleaded not guilty, however, Umeibe and Ezenwanne, the sixth and seventh defendants pleaded guilty and were convicted accordingly.

In 2022, the Police Service Commission suspended Kyari and two senior police officers — Sunday Ubua and James Bawa — named in a cocaine deal involving the suspended deputy commissioner of police.

The Police Service Commission suspended Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sunday Ubua, and Assistant Superintendent of Police, James Bawa, from the exercise of the powers and functions of their respective offices with effect from February 14, 2022.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/57/2022, Kyari is facing trial for his involvement in the deal of 17.55 kilogrammes of cocaine.

Kyari was also accused of attempting to obstruct officers in the exercise of their duties by offering them the sum of $61,400.00 as an inducement to prevent the testing of the 17.55 kilogrammes of substance.

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