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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Two suspects in the drug charge against the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alfonsus Ezenwanne have pleaded guilty to three charges against them.
It was however a different plea for DCP Kyari, ACP Sunday Ubia; ASP James Bawa, Inspector Simon Agirigba and Inspector John Nuhu who all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne specifically pleaded guilty to counts 5, 6 and 7 while urging the court to “have mercy on us.”
They are charged with knowingly possessed 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and offence contrary to and punishable under sections 11(d), 14(b), 23 and 49 of the National Drug Law enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, J.N. Sunday, the Director legal services of the NDLEA leading Professor Joshua Alobo urged the applied that the charge be read to the defendants.
Meanwhile, a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN) leading Mahmud Magaji (SAN), Nureini Jimoh (SAN), James Onoja (SAN) and Moses Ebute (SAN) appeared for DCP Kyari and ACP Sunday Ubia.
Michael Mbanefo, N.Y. Chiwar and E.U. Okeyni all appeared for ASP James Bawa, Inspector Simon Agirigba ; Inspector John Nuhu; Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alfonsus Ezenwanne respectively.
However, attempts by Kyari and others to move their bail applications suffered a set back as the court said the counter affidavit from the NDLEA was not yet in the court file.
Justice Nwite observed that he was yet to go through the processes in respect of the bail applications especially the counter affidavit from the NDLEA.
Other defence lawyers have equally filed their respective bail applications for their clients.
The duo of Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alfonsus Ezenwanne specifically pleaded guilty to the following charges;
“That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male adult and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 19th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 25th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to an punishable under section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
” That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult and one IK, now at large, on the 25th January 2022, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly possessed 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
In count eight, the agency said “That you DCP Abba Kyari, on or about 25th January 2022, at a restaurant on Port Harcourt Crescent, Area 11, Garki Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, attempted to obstruct the Agency and its authorised officers in the exercise of their duties by offering the sum of $61,400.00 USD (sixty-one thousand, four hundred United States of America Dollars) to a senior officer of the Agency as inducement to prevent the testing of the
17.55kilogrammes of substance used to replace the cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 23 and punishable under section 49 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Meanwhile, the court had adjourned hearing in the bail applications to March 14 while proceedings in respect of the review of facts based on the plea of not guilty by the 5th and 6th defendants.
The defendants are to remain in the NDLEA custody pending the next adjourned date.
Kyari, and six others were brought to the Federal High Court Abuja by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the early hours of Monday for their arraignment on eight-counts bordering on drug trafficking.
While ASP James Bawa, Inspector Simon Agirigba ; Inspector John Nuhu; Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alfonsus Ezenwanne were conveyed to court in two hilux at 7:38 am, DCP Kyari and ACP Sunday Ubia were driven to court in a long black bus by 8:10 am.
They are expected to be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court (FHC).
