The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) filed a lawsuit against suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari, and the Federal High Court in Abuja has set February 26, 2026, as the judgment date.
The former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and his two younger brothers, Mohammed and Ali, are being prosecuted by the NDLEA for allegedly failing to disclose assets.
Following the adoption of final written addresses and the presentation of arguments by the attorneys for each party, Justice James Omotosho set the date for Friday.
The anti-drug agency reportedly filed a 23-count complaint against the three, alleging that they neglected to declare multiple assets that were purportedly linked to Kyari.
The NDLEA said that investigators found 14 assets, including shopping centers, residential properties, a polo playground, and farmland, that were purportedly connected to the suspended DCP.
The properties were reportedly situated between Maiduguri and Abuja.
The agency also claimed that Kyari’s accounts at Sterling Bank, United Bank for Africa, and Guaranty Trust Bank had more than ₦207 million and €17,598.
The NDLEA Act and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, according to the agency, punish the defendants for concealing property ownership and money conversion.
To all accusations, however, they entered a not guilty plea.
The NDLEA presented twenty materials and produced ten witnesses to support its claims.
Kyari chose to file a no-case motion after the prosecution concluded its case, claiming that the agency had not produced any proof connecting him to the homes.
However, Justice Omotosho rejected the application on October 28, stating that the prosecution had proven a prima facie case that required the defendants to present their defense.
“I Declared All My Assets” Kyari Naija News remembers that on November 4, Kyari began his defense by stating that he had properly reported his and his wife’s assets in compliance with the law.
He explained that several of the properties named by the NDLEA belonged to his late father, who had roughly thirty children, and denied owning any of the properties.
Kyari expressed disbelief at the suggestion that he was the owner of a polo playground in Borno State, emphasizing that he had no connection to the property.
On November 26, 2025, Kyari concluded his defense following cross-examination by the NDLEA and led in evidence by his attorney, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN).
Through their attorney, Monjok Agom, Kyari’s brothers, Mohammed and Ali, told the court that they would not be bringing any witnesses.
“We shall be resting our case on that of the prosecution’s case,” stated Agom.
According to Naija News, Kyari and several police officers are on trial for cocaine trafficking before Justice Emeka Nwite of a sister Federal High Court; this trial is unrelated to the asset-disclosure issue.
Nonetheless, the NDLEA initiated both cases in 2022.
