February 22, (THEWILL) – The Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Zainab Abubakar, has granted the request by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to further detain for 14 days, the two alleged drug couriers named in the case involving suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari.
Justice Abubakar gave the order for the detention of Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus, at the NDLEA facility Abuja on Tuesday, pending investigation.
The order followed an ex-parte application to that effect by the NDLEA Director for Prosecution and Legal Services, Joseph Sunday.
The NDLEA had last Monday declared Abba Kyari wanted over alleged involvement in a 25kg cocaine deal, after efforts to get him to honour formal invitations for his interrogation failed.
Kyari and four other police officers including ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agrigba, and Inspector John Nuhu, were later arrested; 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.
“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)”, Adejobi had said in a statement dated February 14.
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