Media had last week reported that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja gave Kyari, a former Commander of the Intelligence Response Team, two weeks’ bail to conclude his mother’s burial rites.
The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has been released from the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
His release is coming after spending 27 months in detention.
The Spokesperson of the Nigerian Correctional Service of the Federal Capital Territory Command, Adamu Duza, who spoke to PUNCH confirmed that Kyari had been released on Friday after meeting his bail conditions.
Duza said, “DCP Kyari has perfected his bail conditions, and has since been released today.”
Media had last week reported that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja gave Kyari, a former Commander of the Intelligence Response Team, two weeks’ bail to conclude his mother’s burial rites.
The temporary bail was granted by the court to allow Abba Kyari to pay his respects to his mother, Yachilla Kyari, who died on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
She was survived by 10 children including Abba, her eldest son.
The court said the two-week bail would be enough for Kyari to return to his home state – Borno – and conclude his mother’s burial rites.
The court fixed Friday, May 31, for the determination of his bail application in the trial over drug-related charges filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following his arrest over two years ago.
Kyari and four members of the IRT were charged with conspiracy to deal in 17.55kg of cocaine. They were also charged with 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.
Media had reported how Kyari; as well as his deputy, ACP Sunday Ubua, allegedly received a combined N4.2 billion in their separate bank accounts.
The details were part of a report sent to the immediate former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), by the NDLEA in 2022.
According to the drug enforcement agency, not less than N1.4 billion passed through Kyari’s account while he was commander of the IRT.
However, Kyari’s deputy, Ubua, received far more than him as not less than N2.8 billion was traced to his eight bank accounts.
In 2019, the IRT, an elite crime-busting squad led by the suspended officer, came under fire over its alleged take-over of multibillion naira properties owned by Collins Ezenwa, a suspected kidnapper killed by the police the previous year.
After conducting separate investigations, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Amnesty International accused Kyari’s IRT of gross human rights abuses.
It should be recalled that two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, implicated Kyari in the drug cartel.
The NDLEA charged with Kyari and other criminal members of IRT who were in the same business. While DCP Kyari pleaded not guilty, Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were convicted.
He has been repeatedly denied bail until a recent decision by a Federal High Court in Abuja following the death of his mother.