Abba Kyari, the detained and suspended deputy commissioner of Police, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to release him from the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on health grounds
The embattled cop had sued the Federal Government before the court challenging his continued detention by the NDLEA.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/182/22, Kyari sought an order of the court to immediately release him and in the alternative, admit him to bail in liberal conditions.
In an ex-parte application argued by his counsel, Cynthia Obianuju Ikena, Kyari claimed to be suffering from chronic diabetes threatening his life and therefore needs urgent medical attention.
Justice Ekwo, in his brief ruling, declined to order his immediate release but ordered him to put the respondent on notice.
The judge ordered him to go and serve all processes he filed on the Federal Government.
Justice Ekwo held that all the averments and allegations made against the Federal Government are so weighty that the court must give the government opportunity to hear from it before taking any step.
He thereafter fixed February 24 for the parties to appear before him.
The NDLEA had accused and detained Kyari of being an accomplice to a drug ring, which operates on the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria route, peddling deadly substances, notably cocaine.
NDLEA had claimed that Kyari was caught on camera handing over $61,400 in cash to bribe its operative and facilitate the release of 17 KG of seized cocaine. The suspended cop is being detained at the NDLEA headquarters facility in Abuja alongside three other suspended accomplices in the police namely Sunday Ubuah, an ACP; Bawa James, an assistant superintendent of police, (ASP); Simon Arigba, a police inspector and John Nuhu, among others.
This development comes after the NDLEA had approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking permission to detain Kyari and other suspects beyond the stipulated 48 hours sanctioned by Nigerian law.