Court Grants Abba Kyari Bail

A federal high court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice James Omotosho has granted bail to the suspended former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police, Abba Kyari.

The embattled Kyari was granted bail on Thursday after about 18 months in prison custody.

According to the Judge, Kyari and his team refused to escape when they had the chance to do so during the Kuje Prison attack on July 5, 2022. He ruled that Kyari’s refusal to escape when about 90 percent of the inmates escaped, “has proven that Kyari is ready to face any allegations against him.”

The judge added that all the “allegations are all bailable” and he is not “a flight risk”.

Justice Omotosho granted conditional bail to Abba Kyari at the sum of N50m with two sureties in like sum. He added that the sureties must have property worth N250m within the jurisdiction of the court, among other conditions.

Furthermore, the Judge ruled that when Abba Kyari meets the bail conditions, the endorsement of his release warrant is subject to developments in a sister case in which he is being tried with four others on alleged involvement in dealing in illicit drugs.

Speaking to newsmen after the ruling, a member of Kyari’s defense team, Barr Suleiman Shehu hailed the court decision “as a well-deserved victory.”

Naija News recalls Kyari alongside some members of his team was taken into custody in February 2022 after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) accused them of tampering with drug exhibits.

The IRT team arrested Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, in January 2022 in connection with 21.25kg of cocaine and subsequently handed the suspects to the NDLEA alongside the cocaine.

The case took a dramatic twist when NDLEA declared Kyari and some members of his IRT wanted for tampering with the evidence.