Story by Iyiola Ayomide
Nigeria’s celebrated crime buster, DeputyCommissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, has accused the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of orchestrating a campaign of lies and media propaganda to tarnish his image and shield its own indicted officers involved in the Enugu Airport drug scandal.
Kyari made the accusations on Tuesday while testifying before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he opened his defence against charges of alleged non-disclosure of assets.
“NDLEA Lied Against Me to Tarnish My Name”
Speaking under oath as the first defence witness (DW-1), Kyari vehemently denied NDLEA’s claims that he owns the Borno State Government-owned Polo Playing Ground in Maiduguri and other properties allegedly linked to him.
“All these are blatant lies meant to mislead the public,” Kyari said, testifying under the guidance of his lawyer, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN).
“Some of the properties they falsely linked to me belong to my late father, who had 30 children, while others belong to my siblings and people I don’t even know. All documents for those properties are properly registered with the Borno State Ministry of Lands and have been presented to this Honourable Court.”
He described NDLEA’s allegations as “a media trial built on envy, vendetta, and falsehood that cannot stand in a court of law.”
“Even Dangote Doesn’t Own a Polo Ground Like That”
Kyari dismissed the claim that he owns the historic Maiduguri Polo Ground, describing it as “laughable and malicious.”
“Even Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa, does not own a massive polo ground like that,” he said.
“That ground has been there long before I was born. As children, we used to go there to play and learn how to drive. It is a public recreational facility owned by the Borno State Government.”
Kyari Reveals His True Assets and Bank Balances
Addressing allegations of owning over ₦200 million, Kyari presented detailed bank records before the court, revealing his actual balances as:
₦366,000 — GTBank
₦257,000 — Access Bank
₦2.9 million — UBA (Salary Account)
₦88 — Sterling Bank (Dormant for over 10 years)
£7,000 — GTBank Domiciliary Account (Saved for over a decade)
“These are the only funds in my accounts. NDLEA misled the media by summing up every small transaction that passed through my accounts in 23 years — salaries, allowances, farm proceeds — and then falsely claimed ₦200 million is sitting there. That is deceitful and malicious,” he stated.
He confirmed ownership of a farmland along the Abuja–Kaduna expressway, where he has farmed for over ten years, and said it was fully declared in his official asset declaration form.
“NDLEA Is Protecting the Real Criminals”
Kyari accused the NDLEA of shielding its operatives at Enugu Airport who were indicted by two arrested drug traffickers — Patrick Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne — in their written and video confessions.
“These traffickers confessed that NDLEA officers helped them smuggle drugs into Nigeria more than ten times,” Kyari said.
“Yet those NDLEA officers were never arrested or prosecuted. Instead, the agency turned around to persecute the police officers who arrested the traffickers and handed them over.”
He also revealed that the two traffickers, who were sentenced to two years in prison in 2022, were released after just 16 months. “Today, reports indicate they are back in the drug trade, now using Ghanaian passports,” he added.
“I Was Not Part of the Enugu Arrest”
Kyari clarified that he was not part of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) that arrested the traffickers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.
“I only got involved later when I was asked to intervene about compensating a whistleblower who wanted to expose more drug criminals. I never participated in the arrest or investigation,” he said.
He emphasized that the NDLEA should not have handled his case, as its own officers were implicated by the same traffickers. “This matter should have been handled by a neutral authority such as the Attorney-General’s Office, not the NDLEA,” he said.
Violation of Rights and Lack of Fair Process
Kyari told the court that he voluntarily submitted himself to the NDLEA but was denied access to his lawyer and phone during interrogation.
“They refused to allow me verify my bank balances or contact my account officers before filling my asset declaration form,” he said.
“My accounts were immediately frozen, yet they claimed large sums were moving in and out — which is false. The truth is in my bank statements before this court.”
Court Adjourns, Says Burden of Proof Rests on NDLEA
After hearing his testimony, Justice James Omotosho adjourned the matter to November 5 for continuation of trial, reminding both parties that “the defendants remain innocent until proven guilty” and that the burden of proof rests solely on the prosecution, in line with Section 135(1) of the Evidence Act, 2011.
Defence: “No Evidence Linking Kyari to Any Property or Crime”
In a written address, Kyari’s lawyer, Dr. Obinna Onyia, told the court that the NDLEA failed to produce a single piece of evidence linking Kyari to any of the alleged properties or funds.
“There is no document, transaction, or evidence before this court connecting Abba Kyari to any criminal act or property purchase. All these fictitious figures and fake assets were created to mislead the public through a media trial, not to prove any case in court,” Onyia stated.
Kyari: “My Record Speaks for Me”
Kyari concluded by reaffirming his innocence and commitment to the country he served.
“All I ask for is fairness and truth. I have spent my career fighting crime and risking my life for Nigeria. Now I am the victim of an orchestrated media war by those who fear accountability,” he said.