The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has stated that its main drug trafficking case involving suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, is still active and will continue in court on March 16
The agency explained that the case is scheduled to resume before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja and is separate from another matter in which Kyari was recently discharged.
The clarification followed a ruling by Justice James Omotosho, who dismissed a 23-count charge against Kyari related to alleged money laundering and failure to declare assets.
Speaking with our Correspondent on Thursday in Abuja, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the judgment should not be interpreted as the end of Kyari’s legal troubles.
According to him, the ruling only applied to the money laundering and asset declaration charges, while the substantive drug trafficking case remains before Justice Nwite.
Babafemi emphasised that the drug-related trial will proceed as planned.
He said the agency’s legal team had been directed to obtain the Certified True Copy (CTC)of the judgment delivered by Justice Omotosho in order to determine the NDLEA’s next step.
The NDLEA spokesperson added that the agency would review the details of the ruling before deciding whether to file an appeal against the court’s decision to discharge Kyari.
He reiterated that the NDLEA remains committed to following due legal procedures in prosecuting the drug case.
Kyari, a former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force, is currently being prosecuted by the anti-drug agency over allegations linked to drug trafficking.
The hearing scheduled for March 16 at the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected to mark the next phase of the trial.
