ABUJA, Nigeria — Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari has denied ownership of properties allegedly traced to him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), telling a federal high court in Abuja that some of the assets belonged to his late father, who he said had “about 30 children”.
Testifying before Justice James Omotosho on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Kyari rejected claims by prosecutors that he owns extensive land holdings and a polo ground in Borno State.
He insisted the properties in question were not his and argued that he lacked the means to acquire such real estate.
“Even Dangote, who is the richest man in Nigeria, does not own such a property; how much more someone like me,” Kyari told the court.
“The polo ground had been in existence even when I was a child. We used to go there to play.”
Kyari said documents for some of the disputed assets were held by the Borno State Ministry of Land and asserted that he was taken aback by the allegations.
He acknowledged owning farmland along the Abuja–Kaduna highway, which he said he had managed for roughly 10 years.
He also confirmed operating bank accounts with UBA, Access Bank and GTBank, adding that £7,000 found in his domiciliary account was lawfully declared.
According to Kyari, the accounts were subsequently frozen by prosecutors.
The former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team distanced himself from the drug trafficking case at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, where two couriers were arrested in 2022 — the incident that led to his suspension.
He alleged that NDLEA personnel stationed at the airport were complicit in the case.
“I was not arrested because of the allegations. I voluntarily submitted myself for investigation through my office,” Kyari told the court.
Justice Omotosho adjourned proceedings until Wednesday, November 5, 2025, for continuation of trial.
Last month, the court dismissed a no-case submission filed by Kyari and his brothers, ruling that prosecutors had established a prima facie case.
“The defendants are still presumed innocent until proven guilty, and the prosecution still has the duty to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge held.
Kyari, Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari face a 23-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022.
The NDLEA accuses them of failing to fully disclose their assets, disguising ownership of property and converting funds — offences the agency says contravene the NDLEA Act and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
The prosecution has closed its case after calling 10 witnesses and tendering 20 exhibits.
Kyari and four other suspended officers are also defending a separate criminal case before Justice Emeka Nwite over alleged involvement in a cocaine deal.
Two drug traffickers in that matter, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, pleaded guilty and were sentenced to two years in prison in 2022.
Kyari, once celebrated as a leading police investigator, remains suspended as he fights both sets of charges.
The cases have become one of the most high-profile accountability tests for Nigeria’s law enforcement establishment in recent years.
