How I Was Framed By NDLEA Agents – Abba Kyari

The suspended Commander of the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, DCP Abba Kyari, has opened up on how he was allegedly framed by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA in the 25kg cocaine deal over which he is facing trial.

The revelation was contained in an affidavit of claims accompanying a N500 million fundamental rights suit he filed against the NDLEA to enforce his freedom.

Abba 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.