Assets declaration: Court grants Abba Kyari conditional N50m bail

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted the former Head of the Rapid Response Team, Abba Kyari, to a N50 million bail in a charge filed against him and two others by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The NDLEA had filed the 24-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022 against Kyari and two of his siblings – Mohammed Baba Kyari and Ali Kyari – in respect of which they were arraigned last month.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling on Thursday, July 6, 2023, granted conditional bail to Abba Kyari at the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Omotosho also ordered that the sureties must have property worth N25 million each within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), among other conditions.

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The judge held that even when Kyari meets the bail conditions, the endorsement of his release warrant would be subject to development in a sister case pending before Justice Emeka Nwite in which he is being tried with four others on alleged drug deal.

Justice Omotosho said despite the Kuje prison jailbreak by terrorists on July 5, 2022, Kyari refused to escape where about 90 per cent of the inmates escaped freely.

The judge said NDLEA did not controvert the argument, adding that the failure to counter the submission was an admission by the anti-drug agency.

Justice Omotosho held that the offence with which he was being charged was a bailable one.

Kyari had been denied bail twice in the other case pending before Justice Nwite.

His two siblings were earlier granted bail by Justice Omotosho.

The Star