The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, wanted over alleged links with an international drug cartel.
The spokesperson for NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, made the announcement during a short press conference held at its Headquarters.
According to the NDLEA, he is wanted over his involvement in a 25 kilograms Cocaine deal.
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The Agency said it declared Mr Kyari wanted after all efforts to get him to honour formal invitations for his interrogation failed.
Kyari, until his suspension by the commission, was the officer-in-charge of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team.
Mr Babafemi, said “most cynical of Nigerians now agree that the country is really in a drug quagmire and therefore appreciates the relentless efforts of NDLEA operatives.
“Unfortunately, some law enforcement agents who should be partners in the pursuit of the President’s mandate are at the forefront of breaking the law, as they aid and abet drug trafficking in the country.
“Today, we are forced to declare one of such law enforcement agents wanted in the person of suspended DCP Abba Kyari, the erstwhile Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force.
“With the intelligence at our disposal, the Agency believes strongly that DCP Kyari is a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline, and he needs to answer questions that crop up in an ongoing drug case in which he is the principal actor. His failure to cooperate forced the hand of the Agency and that is the reason for this press briefing.”
According to the NDLEA, Kyari had initiated a call to one of its officers on Friday, January 21, 2022.
“When the officer returned the call two minutes later, Kyari informed him he was coming to see him, to discuss an operational matter after the Juma’at service,” Mr Babafemi said.
“He appeared at the agreed venue of the meeting with the officer and went straight to the crux of the matter. This was it: His team had intercepted and arrested some traffickers that came into the country from Ethiopia with, according to him, 25kg of cocaine.
“He proposed a drug deal whereby he and his team are to take 15kg of the cocaine and leave 10kg for the prosecution of the suspects arrested with the illicit drug in Enugu. In the meantime, the purloined cocaine will be replaced with a dummy worth 15kg. He asked the NDLEA officer to persuade men of the FCT Command, to play along as well.” NDLEA said.
