The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, and six others facing drug trafficking charges with him, to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwike ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to transfer the defendants to prison custody, shortly after he denied them bail.
The suspended DCP was arraigned alongside Sunday J Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu who are members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
Other Defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022, are two drug traffickers who were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwane.
The agency accused the defendants of conspiracy, obstruction and dealing in 17.55 kg of cocaine.
Mahmoud Magaji, the lawyer who moved Kyari and Ubia’s (second defendant) bail application, prayed the court to grant his clients bail.
Counsel for the third and fifth defendants also prayed for bail on lenient terms.
But Joseph Sunday, prosecution counsel, opposed the bail applications. He said all the conditions for which the defendants should not be granted bail are inherent in the case.
The court held that the NDLEA placed sufficient materials before it to warrant the refusal of bail to Kyari and his co-defendants.
The court equally denied bail to former members of the IRT, ACP Sunday Ubia, Inspector Simon Agirgba, and Inspector John Nuhu.
Meanwhile, Justice Nwite ordered the accelerated trial of the defendants and fixed April 28 for the review of facts in respect of the case against Umeibe and Ezenwane.
Umeibe and Ezenwanne, who were cited as the 6th and 7th defendants in the charge alongside Kyari, had pleaded guilty to the charge that was read to them.
