Abuja: Insp. El-John Nwonke has testified before the Federal High Court, Abuja, indicating that officers from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) assisted two convicted individuals in Abba Kyari’s trial to circumvent security protocols at Enugu International Airport.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Nwonke, serving as the second defense witness, presented this claim during proceedings led by Kyari’s counsel, Mr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN. Abba Kyari, a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police and former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), is currently facing prosecution by the NDLEA on several charges related to drug trafficking.
Kyari, along with four other suspended officers from the IRT, faces an eight-count charge that includes conspiracy, illegal cocaine dealing, cocaine importation, and obstruction. The officers named are ACP Sunday Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirgba, and Insp. John Nuhu, listed as the second to fifth defendants. Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, the two convicted traffickers, are identified as the sixth and seventh defendants.
The court heard that Umeibe and Ezenwanne were apprehended at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu by IRT officers and subsequently handed over to the NDLEA. They later admitted guilt to charges 5, 6, and 7 on June 14, 2022, and received a two-year prison sentence. The officers, however, pleaded not guilty when charged on March 7, 2022.
Nwonke recounted his involvement in the investigation at the Nigerian Police’s Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID). He was part of the team that conducted interviews with the suspects on January 20, 2022, documenting their statements and video-recording the session, which was later transferred to a Digital Video Disc (DVD). He testified that the suspects confessed to being arrested with cocaine after NDLEA officers had cleared them at the airport.
The witness further explained that the convicts revealed their routine of smuggling cocaine from Ethiopia, noting that NDLEA officers would be informed of their arrival beforehand. The traffickers disclosed that their handlers would send their photographs to the officers on duty to facilitate their passage through the airport.
Nwonke described how the convicts signaled NDLEA officers with a smile upon arrival, prompting the officers to conduct a superficial inspection of their bags. This routine, they claimed, had been ongoing until their eventual arrest. The traffickers referred to the cocaine as ‘market’ and were unaware of the exact quantities they transported.
The defense counsel, Ikpeazu, queried Nwonke about the video recording, which the witness confirmed was available. Despite objections from the NDLEA’s counsel, Joseph Sunday, regarding the submission of the video and related documents, Justice Emeka Nwite has adjourned the case until February 27 for further rulings and trial continuation.