A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, of a 23-count charge bordering on alleged non-declaration of assets.
Delivering judgment, Justice James Omotosho held that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) failed to present sufficient and credible evidence to substantiate the allegations brought against Kyari and the other defendants.
Kyari was arraigned alongside his two brothers, who were accused of conspiring to swear false affidavits in an attempt to conceal the origin and ownership of certain properties.
However, the court ruled that the prosecution did not establish a clear link between Abba Kyari and the properties cited in the charge. Justice Omotosho explained that ownership of landed property can typically be proven through traditional history, valid title documents, acts of possession, or possession connected to ownership.
According to the court, none of these forms of proof were presented by the NDLEA to demonstrate that the property located at Fountain Estate, Karsana—allegedly owned by Ramatu Kyari—actually belonged to Abba Kyari.
Similarly, the prosecution failed to provide material evidence connecting Kyari to properties located on Linda Choko Road in Asokoro, Abuja, as well as properties in Maiduguri, Borno State.
In his defence, Kyari maintained that the Maiduguri properties belonged to his late father and were inherited by him and his siblings. The court noted that the prosecution did not provide any evidence to contradict this claim.
Justice Omotosho further held that the allegations of conspiracy against Kyari’s brothers were not supported by credible proof, describing the prosecution’s case as lacking in substance.
Consequently, the court discharged and acquitted all the defendants on the charges.
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