The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has granted a request by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for the confiscation of the assets belonging to the suspended Commander, Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari and his co-accused.
It was gathered that the NDLEA’s request, which was dispatched to the justice ministry penultimate week, had received the AGF’s approval.
With this development, the former Commander, Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team and his accomplices may lose their assets, cash and money in bank accounts; vehicles; real estate, notably hotels, residential and commercial buildings; personal effects such as wristwatches, jewellery and other valuable possessions.
Nigeria Standard had reported last week that about N4.2bn was traced to Kyari and his co-accused, ACP Sunday Ubua’s bank accounts.
The NDLEA had on March 7 arraigned Kyari, Ubua and four members of the IRT, Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu, on eight counts of conspiracy, obstruction and dealing in cocaine, and other related offences before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Two other suspects arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, were also listed as defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022.
A senior justice ministry official said, “The AGF has endorsed the request by the NDLEA seeking approval for the confiscation of the assets of Abba Kyari, Ubua and the other police officers involved in drug dealing.
“With the approval, the drug agency can now go after their property such as real estate, bank accounts, cash, vehicles, stocks, bonds and anything of monetary value.”
The source further said the seizure of the embattled DCP and his co-accused assets was to ensure that they did not benefit from the proceeds of crime.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, had confirmed that the accused persons’ bank accounts would be frozen, noting that this was standard practice.
Kyari, who is wanted in the United States for alleged involvement in a $1.1m scam carried out by a notorious Internet scammer, Ramon Abass, aka Hushpuppi, was suspended by the police last July.
