Wanted Abba Kyari, Four Others Now In Our Custody – NDLEA

A photo combination shows an emblem of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and suspended police officer Abba Kyari.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, and four other police officers are now in its custody.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, confirmed this in a statement on Monday hours after the anti-drug agency declared Kyari wanted.

Other police officers in the NDLEA custody are ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agrigba, and Inspector John Nuhu.

“Few hours after he was declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA over his involvement in a 25 kilograms Cocaine deal, the Nigerian Police Force has handed over the suspended DCP Abba Kyari, the erstwhile Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force, to the anti-narcotic agency,” Babafemi said.

“Five of the wanted suspects namely: DCP Abba Kyari; ACP Sunday J. Ubua; ASP Bawa James; Inspector Simon Agrigba and Inspector John Nuhu, were driven into the National Headquarters of NDLEA in Abuja at about 5pm on Monday 14th February to formally hand them over for interrogation and further investigation.

“The agency wishes to assure that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that all suspects already in custody and those that may still be indicted in the course of the investigation will face the full weight of the law at the end of the ongoing probe.”

Earlier, the NDLEA spokesman declared the suspended police officer wanted over allegations of his involvement in drug trafficking while addressing a press conference in the nation’s capital.

According to him, Kyari, who was the Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the police before his suspension over links with convicted fraudster Hushpuppi, is wanted over his involvement in a 25kg cocaine deal.

The agency explained that the decision to declare Kyari wanted was a result of failed efforts to get him to honour formal invitations for his interrogation.

It decried a situation where those who were supposed to support current efforts to stem the tide of illicit drug trafficking and abuse were themselves neck-deep in the menace.