PH
Justice Zainab Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the request of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to further detain the two alleged drug couriers named in the case involving a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, for 14 days.
She gave the order for the detention of Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus at the NDLEA facility Abuja on Tuesday, pending investigation.
The judge granted the anti-drug agency’s request after NDLEA Director for Prosecution and Legal Services, Joseph Sunday, moved an ex-parte application to that effect.
Kyari was the Commander of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the police before his suspension over links with convicted fraudster Hushpuppi.
Last Monday, the NDLEA declared him wanted over allegations of his involvement in a 25kg cocaine deal, after efforts to get him to honour formal invitations for his interrogation failed.
This led to the arrest of the suspended DCP and four other police officers indicted in the alleged crime. Others arrested included ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agrigba, and Inspector John Nuhu, while the fifth suspect, ASP John Umoru, was still at large.
The offences for which they were arrested, according to the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, were criminal conspiracy, discreditable, unethical and unprofessional conduct, official corruption, and tampering with exhibits in a case of illicit drug trafficking involving a perpetual transnational drug cartel.
Following their arrest, the police handed Kyari and the others over to the NDLEA for investigation and further actions.
“The interim investigations report revealed that two international drug couriers identified as Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus, both males, were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu on the 19th of January 2022 upon their arrival from Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET917,” Adejobi had said in a statement dated February 14.
“The arrest led to the recovery of a substantial quantity of powdery substance suspected to be cocaine from the two narcotic couriers.
“The operation which was intelligence-driven was undertaken by a unit of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).”
