ABUJA, Nigeria – Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday, July 6, 2023, granted bail to the former head of the Rapid Response Team, Abba Kyari, after an 18-month imprisonment.
Kyari had caught the court’s favorable attention by refusing to escape during an attack on Kuje Prison on July 5, 2022, when approximately 90 percent of the inmates fled.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho pointed to Kyari’s decision not to escape during the prison attack as evidence of his willingness to face the allegations against him.
The judge also stated that all allegations against Kyari are bailable and that he does not pose a flight risk.
Kyari and his team were taken into custody in February 2022 following allegations by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, of tampering with drug exhibits.
His team had arrested Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne in January 2022, in connection with 21.25kg of cocaine, and handed over the suspects along with the drugs to the NDLEA.
Both Umeibe and Ezenwanne have since been released from prison after their convictions.
A counsel in Kyari’s team of lawyers, Hamza Kyari, clarified that although Abba Kyari has been granted bail, he will not be able to go home immediately.
Kyari still faces another case before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where his bail application is pending.
The legal community and the general public have taken notice of Kyari’s integrity in refusing to escape from the prison during the attack.
His actions have sparked a debate on the merits of the justice system and have brought attention to the importance of acknowledging a defendant’s conduct during the legal process.
