From Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja
A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) permission to further detain suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police DCP Abba Kyari and six others for 14 days.
The others to be detained along with Kyari are alleged drug couriers named in the hard drug trafficking case involving Abba Kyari.
Justice Zainab Abubakar gave the order on Tuesday in Abuja for the detention of seven suspects pending the completion of investigation into allegations against them.
Those to be detained along with Kyari are Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP Sunday Ubia, Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP Bawa James, Inspectors Simon Agirigba, John Nuhu as well as Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.
Justice Zainab Abubakar gave the order after listening to the Director, Prosecution and Legal Services (NDLEA), Joseph Sunday, who moved an ex-parte application to that effect.
An affidavit in support of the motion ex-parte indicated that Abba Kyari’s accomplices were arrested on January 19 at the Enugu international Airport and that they have admitted being drug couriers.
“The suspects were arrested upon their arrival from Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET917.
“The arrest led to the recovery of 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),”
NDLEA had in the application pleaded for more time to detain Kyari and others on the ground that the hard drug trafficking allegations against the suspect were complex and may require the agency traveling outside the shore of the country to make some clarifications.
The agency asked the court to grant the detention extension in the interest of justice, and the suspects.
In a short ruling, Justice Zainab Abubakar, ordered that Abba Kyari and the six other suspects be detained for another 14 days in the first place and the NDLEA can come up with fresh request, if necessary.
The Judge, however, ordered that the 14 days further detention should start counting from February 22.