Court dismisses Abba Kyari’s application to strike out charges

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed an application requesting to strike out charges against the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.

Justice Emeka Nwite dismissed the application on the ground that the court of law has the exclusive right and power to hear drug-related cases as stipulated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act.

Justice Nwite ruled that Section 251 of the constitution confers the court the powers to hear and determine the charge.

Earlier, Kyari mentioned to the court that the charges against him were impulsive.

Kyari, the former head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force with four members of the IRT before a Federal High Court in Abuja with conspiracy to deal in 17.55kg of cocaine.

The other members of the IRT are: ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu.

They were also charged with dealing in cocaine without lawful authority; conspiracy to tamper with cocaine and unlawfully tampering with the 21.35kg of cocaine seized from two convicted drug dealers.