The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed February 26, 2026, for judgment in the case filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) against suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NDLEA is prosecuting Kyari, the former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), alongside his two younger brothers, on allegations bordering on the non-disclosure of assets.
Justice James Omotosho scheduled the judgment date after counsel for the NDLEA, Sunday Joseph; Kyari’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN; and the brothers’ counsel, Monjok Agom, adopted their final written addresses and presented arguments for and against the charges.
In the 23-count charge, the NDLEA named Abba Kyari, Mohammed Kyari, and Ali Kyari as the 1st to 3rd defendants.
The anti-narcotics agency alleged that Abba Kyari and his brothers failed to fully declare their assets. It said investigators uncovered 14 assets—including shopping malls, residential estates, polo playgrounds, landed properties, and farmland—linked to Kyari.
He was also accused of failing to disclose ownership of properties located across the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Maiduguri, Borno State.
According to the NDLEA, over N207 million and €17,598 were discovered in Kyari’s accounts with Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa, and Sterling Bank.
The agency further accused the defendants of “disguising the ownership of properties and conversion of monies” in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022. The offences are said to be punishable under Section 35 (3) (a) of the NDLEA Act and Section 15 (3) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
The three defendants pleaded not guilty to all counts.
To prove its case, the NDLEA called 10 witnesses and tendered at least 20 exhibits.
Kyari, however, opted to enter a no-case submission after the prosecution closed its case. His lawyer argued that the agency had failed to directly link him to the properties in question.
But on October 28, Justice Omotosho dismissed the no-case submission, ruling that the NDLEA had established a prima facie case requiring Kyari to enter his defence.
Kyari opened his defence on November 4, insisting that he declared all his assets—as well as his wife’s—according to the law. He denied ownership of several properties listed by the prosecution.
He told the court that some of the properties traced to him actually belonged to his late father, who had “about 30 children.” He also rejected claims that he owned a polo playground in Borno, saying he was surprised such a vast land area was attributed to him.
NAN reports that Kyari closed his defence on November 26 after giving evidence led by Ikpeazu and being cross-examined by the NDLEA lawyer.
However, his younger brothers, Mohammed and Ali, through their lawyer, Monjok Agom, informed the court that they would not be calling any witnesses. “We shall rest our case on the prosecution’s case,” Agom told the court.
NAN further reports that the ongoing asset-disclosure case is separate from the cocaine-trafficking trial Kyari is facing with several police officers before Justice Emeka Nwite of another division of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Both cases were filed by the NDLEA in 2022.
