The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, of all 23 counts of alleged non-declaration of assets brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Delivering judgment, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the anti-narcotics agency failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate the charges against Kyari and his two brothers, who were also accused of swearing false affidavits to conceal the ownership of certain properties.
The court noted that the prosecution did not present credible documents linking Kyari to properties at Fountain Estate, Kasana, alleged to belong to Ramatu Kyari, or to other properties on Linda Choko Road in Asokoro, Abuja, and in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Justice Omotosho emphasized that property ownership could be proven through traditional history, title documents, acts of possession, or possession by connection, none of which were presented by the prosecution.
The judge also accepted Kyari’s defence that the Maiduguri properties belonged to his late father and were inherited by him and his siblings, a claim the prosecution failed to disprove. He further dismissed the conspiracy charge against Kyari’s brothers, describing it as unsubstantiated.
Concluding the trial, Justice Omotosho held that the NDLEA’s case lacked merit and acquitted all defendants on the 23-count charge.
