The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari of a 23-count charge related to the alleged non-declaration of assets, bringing an end to a case that had drawn national attention. The ruling followed months of legal proceedings in which the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency accused the former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team of concealing properties and financial assets.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari of a 23-count charge related to the alleged non-declaration of assets, bringing an end to a case that had drawn national attention. The ruling followed months of legal proceedings in which the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency accused the former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team of concealing properties and financial assets.

According to the judge, ownership of landed property can be established through credible title documents, traditional history, acts of possession, or other verifiable connections. However, the prosecution did not tender any of these forms of evidence linking Kyari to the disputed properties during the trial.

The court also noted that the NDLEA failed to demonstrate that Kyari had control over properties allegedly located in Fountain Estate in the Karsana area of Abuja, on Linda Choko Road in Asokoro, and in Maiduguri, Borno State. Without clear documentary proof, the judge said the allegations could not stand in a criminal trial where the burden of proof lies with the prosecution.

During the proceedings, Kyari maintained that some of the properties mentioned by investigators belonged to his late father and were inherited by him and his siblings. The court observed that the prosecution did not provide evidence to disprove that claim, further weakening the case brought against the defendants.

Justice Omotosho also ruled that the conspiracy allegations against Kyari’s brothers lacked evidential backing, adding that the NDLEA failed to establish any deliberate attempt by the defendants to conceal the origin of the properties. Consequently, the court discharged and acquitted all three defendants of the charges.

The judgment effectively closes the asset declaration case filed against the suspended police officer and his siblings, marking a significant development in one of Nigeria’s most closely watched legal battles involving a senior law enforcement official.