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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, of a 23-count charge bordering on alleged non-declaration of assets filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Delivering judgment on March 5, 2026, Justice James Omotosho held that the prosecution failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt, describing the evidence presented by the anti-narcotics agency as inadequate.
Kyari was charged alongside his two brothers, Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari, who were accused of conspiring and swearing false affidavits to conceal the origin of certain properties allegedly linked to the suspended police officer.
In the judgment, Justice Omotosho ruled that the prosecution failed to tender credible evidence connecting Kyari to the disputed properties listed in the charge.
“The prosecution did not present sufficient evidence to prove that the property cited in the charge belonged to Abba Kyari,” the judge held.
The court noted that ownership of landed property could be established through title documents, traditional history, acts of possession, or possession by connection. However, none of these were provided by the prosecution to support its claims.
The judge also observed that the NDLEA could not link Kyari to properties located at Fountain Estate in Karsana, Abuja, reportedly owned by Ramatu Kyari, or to properties on Linda Choko Road in Asokoro and in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Kyari had earlier told the court that the Maiduguri properties belonged to his late father and were inherited by him and his siblings, a claim the prosecution failed to disprove.
Justice Omotosho further faulted the conspiracy charges against Kyari’s brothers, describing their inclusion in the case as unjustified. Consequently, the court discharged and acquitted all three defendants.
Kyari, once celebrated as one of Nigeria’s most prominent police investigators and former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), fell from grace in 2022 following a series of criminal allegations.
In February 2022, the Nigeria Police Force arrested and handed him over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency after he was accused of involvement in a cocaine trafficking scheme. The NDLEA alleged that Kyari and four other police officers tampered with about 21 kilograms of cocaine seized from suspected traffickers and attempted to bribe an NDLEA official with $61,400 to obstruct the investigation.
The suspended officer was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja alongside several police officers and civilians on charges relating to drug trafficking and obstruction of justice.
While those proceedings continued, the NDLEA also filed a separate 23-count charge accusing Kyari of failing to declare assets and concealing ownership of several properties and funds allegedly linked to him.
Thursday’s ruling by Justice Omotosho relates specifically to the asset declaration case.