COURT SENTENCE ABBA KYARI'S CO-DEFENDANT TO TWO YEARS IMPRISONMENT

A Federal High Court, Abuja, has convicted and sentenced two co-defendants in a suit filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) against suspended DCP Abba Kyari, who hitherto headed the Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, over an alleged drug deal for two years imprisonment.

 

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a judgment delivered today June 14, said having admitted to committing the offense preferred against them in counts 5, 6, and 7 by the NDLEA, Chibunna Umeibe, and Emeka Ezenwanne, who are 6th and 7th defendants, “are hereby convicted.''

Recall that the duo was arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu while attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country. They were first arraigned before the court on March 7 alongside DCP Kyari and four other police officers- ACP Sunday J. Ubia, Insp. Simon Agirigba, Insp. John Nuhu, and ASP Bawa James.

 

Both Umeibe and Ezenwanne had upon their arraignment, pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking charge against them.

 

Though Justice Nwite initially adjourned to review the facts of the case against them, however, at the resumed proceedings on Tuesday, the NDLEA, through the Director of its Legal Department, Mr. Sunday Joseph, informed the court that it has entered into a plea bargain agreement with the two defendants.

 

Joseph, therefore, persuaded the court to adopt the terms of the plea bargain deal as its judgment against the defendants.

Delivering his judgment, the presiding judge convicted and sentenced the two defendants to two years jail term on each of the three-count charges against them.