Abuja, Nigeria – After enduring 27 months behind bars, suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has been released from the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, marking a significant development in a case that has garnered widespread attention and controversy.

Kyari’s detention stemmed from his arrest on February 14, 2022, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on allegations of involvement with an international drug cartel. Alongside Kyari, four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team—Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu—were also apprehended in connection with the case.

On March 7, 2022, Kyari and his co-accused were arraigned before the courts. While they maintained their innocence, two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, pleaded guilty and were subsequently convicted.

Despite several attempts to secure bail, Kyari’s requests were repeatedly denied until a recent ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja. The decision came on May 22, 2024, when Judge Emeka Nwite granted Kyari bail to enable him to fulfill the burial rites of his late mother, Yachilla Kyari, who passed away on May 5.

Under the conditions of his bail, Kyari was required to surrender his passport to the court and report to the nearest NDLEA office during the bail period. The court set May 31, 2024, for the hearing on Kyari’s primary bail application related to the drug trafficking charges.

Confirming Kyari’s release, Adamu Duza, spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service of the Federal Capital Territory Command, stated that Kyari had met all bail conditions and was released on Friday.