Court Clears Suspended DCP Abba Kyari of Asset Declaration Charges
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari of a 23-count charge bordering on alleged non-declaration of assets.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution failed to establish sufficient evidence to prove the allegations brought against the senior police officer.
The charges were filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which accused Kyari of failing to declare several landed properties as required by law.
Kyari was arraigned alongside his two brothers, who were alleged to have sworn to false affidavits in an attempt to conceal the true ownership and origin of the properties under investigation.
However, in his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution did not provide credible or convincing evidence to substantiate the claims against the defendants. According to the court, the NDLEA failed to demonstrate that the properties in question were actually owned by Kyari.
The judge explained that under Nigerian law, ownership of landed property can be proven through several means, including traditional history, title documents, acts of possession, or possession through connection.
Justice Omotosho noted that the prosecution did not present any of these forms of proof before the court.
The court specifically referenced the disputed properties located at Fountain Estate in Kasana, which records indicated belonged to Ramatu Kyari. The prosecution, the judge ruled, failed to establish that the properties were in fact owned by Abba Kyari.
Consequently, the court discharged and acquitted Kyari and his co-defendants of all the charges filed against them.
The judgment marks a significant development in the legal battle involving the suspended police officer, who has faced multiple investigations and legal challenges in recent years.