Drug deal: NDLEA gives reason for Kyari, others’ closed-doors trial

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday explained why the trial of the suspended Head of the Inspector-General Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, and four others was held behind closed doors.

The agency had on Tuesday morning barred journalists from covering the proceeding at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The NDLEA counsel, Sunday Joseph, who addressed journalists after Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case, said the agency took the decision in order to protect the witnesses at the proceeding.

He said: “You see, some of these trials where there were security concerns and then we agreed among the lawyers; both myself and the defendants.

“These are class of witnesses that needed to be protected; they are undercover witnesses.”

On what happened in the courtroom, Joseph, a Director of the Legal and Prosecution Department of the NDLEA, said the court took the testimony of an additional witness at the proceeding.

The NDLEA arraigned Kyari and other police officers for allegedly tampering with the 21.8 kilogrammes of cocaine recovered from two convicts.

The other defendants are – ACP Sunday J. Ubia, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba and Insp. John Nuhu.

READ ALSO: Again, court refuses Abba Kyari’s bail application

The NDLEA accused the police officers who are currently on suspension of compromise on the matter.

They were arraigned alongside Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who conspired with some other persons now at large to bring illicit substances into the country.

Umeibe and Ezenwanne were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu by Kyari’s team based on suspicions of drug trafficking.

The suspects were subsequently brought to Abuja and handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation.

Umeibe and Ezenwanne were sentenced to two years imprisonment by the court on June 14, 2022.

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