The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has clarified that the main drug-related trial involving suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, is still ongoing despite his recent acquittal in a separate case.
According to the agency, the substantive drug case will continue before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, with the next hearing scheduled for March 16, 2026.
The clarification comes after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court discharged and acquitted Kyari and two of his brothers on Thursday in a different case involving allegations of money laundering and non-declaration of assets.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence linking Kyari and his siblings to the properties cited in the charges.
The judge noted that investigators did not provide credible documentation or proof establishing ownership of the properties allegedly connected to Kyari, including those located at Fountain Estate in Kasana, as well as properties on Linda Choko Road in Asokoro, Abuja, and others in Maiduguri, Borno State.
According to the court, ownership of landed property can be established through title documents, traditional history, acts of possession or possession by connection. However, the prosecution failed to present any of these to support its claims.
Reacting to the ruling, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the agency would obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment before deciding its next step.
He stressed that the ruling by Justice Omotosho relates only to the asset declaration and money laundering allegations, which are separate from the drug trafficking case currently before another court.
“The ruling by Justice Omotosho is completely different from the main and substantive drug case, which continues before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, March 16, 2026,” Babafemi said.
He added that the prosecution team has been directed to review the full judgment before determining whether the agency will file an appeal.
The NDLEA had earlier accused Kyari and his brothers, Mohammed and Ali Kyari, of conspiring to conceal ownership of several assets and swearing false affidavits to disguise their origin.
According to the agency, investigations allegedly traced about 14 assets including shopping malls, residential estates, farmlands, plots of land and a polo playground to Kyari in Abuja and Maiduguri.
The anti-narcotics agency also claimed it uncovered about ₦207 million and €17,598 in bank accounts allegedly linked to the suspended police officer.
Kyari, however, denied the allegations during the trial, maintaining that some of the properties attributed to him were inherited from his late father and insisting that he had properly declared his assets.