A Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, along with his two brothers, Mohammed and Ali Kyari, of charges bordering on the alleged non-disclosure of assets.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho held that the prosecuting agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), failed to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge ruled that the agency did not provide sufficient evidence to establish the criminal claims against the defendants, stressing that the burden of proof required in criminal proceedings was not met.
The NDLEA had in 2022 arraigned Kyari and his brothers on a 23-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022, accusing them of failing to fully disclose their assets as required by law.
According to the agency, Kyari allegedly failed to declare ownership of several properties located in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Maiduguri in Borno State.
Prosecutors also alleged that more than ₦207 million and €17,598 were found in Kyari’s accounts across Guarantee Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa, and Sterling Bank.
The NDLEA further accused the trio of disguising ownership of properties and converting funds.
However, the court ruled that the prosecution did not substantiate the allegations with credible evidence, leading to the acquittal and discharge of the defendants.
Caption:
Suspended DCP Abba Kyari exits the Federal High Court in Abuja after being acquitted alongside his two brothers of asset non-disclosure charges, as the court ruled that the NDLEA failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
