Suspended DCP Abba Kyari on Monday pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Kyari told Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, on Monday, following his arraignment, alongside six others, on allegations bordering on drug trafficking.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Kyari pleaded not guilty to counts one, two, three, four and eight levelled against him, the other four police officers, who are defendants in the trial, also pleaded not guilty to counts one, two, three and four filed against them.
But Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, who are 6th and 7th defendants respectively, pleaded guilty to counts five, six and seven preferred against them.
Although their names were also mentioned in counts three and four where allegations bordering on conspiracy were leveled against Kyari and others, they were not asked to take a plea on these two counts.
The four members of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022 include ACP Sunday J. Ubia, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba and Insp. John Nuhu.
Umeibe and Ezenwanne are the two alleged drug traffickers that were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.
Shortly after taking their plea, the NDLEA lawyer, Joseph Sunday, Director, Prosecution and Legal Services, prayed the court for a trial date for the 1st to 5th defendants.
Sunday also urged the court to grant a leave to review the charges against Umeibe and Ezenwanne who pleaded guilty for the charges against them.
“We hope to file our proof of evidence latest tomorrow (Tuesday),” he said.
Kanu Agabi, SAN, who led a delegation of Senior Advocates of Nigeria that appeared for Kyari and Ubia, however informed them that a bail application had been filed in respect of his clients. (Nation)