The former head of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and a popularly celebrated super cop, Abba Kyari might be on a free fall following his involvement in a drug cartel syndicate that has just been busted by men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Kyari, whose cup is now full as he is currently supposed to be on suspension following a role he played in the fraud-related case that involved a popular Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, AKA Hushpuppi for defrauding a Qatari business mogul.
FBI arrested Hushpuppi in the United Arab emirate (UAE) and demanded Kyari, being a conspirator to be extradited to the United States of America to face the law.
Kyari may risk a life jail term if convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction for his offense of trading in cocaine.
The police on Monday have arrested its former super cop some hours after the NDLEA declared him wanted for a drug-related offense where the agency released a video of Kyari trading cocaine to buttress its claim.
According to a police statement, Kyari was indicted for official corruption, tampering with narcotic exhibits,s and unprofessional conduct deflecting from the accusation of the NDLEA.
Kyari has been handed over to the NDLEA to face the full wrath of the law under the NDLEA Act.
An analysis by a legal expert revealed that Part II, chapter 11 of the Act provides that “(a) Any person, who without lawful authority imports, manufactures, plants, or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroin, and other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offense and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life.
“(b) Export, transport, or otherwise traffic in the drug popularly known as cocaine, LSD heroine, or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offense and liable upon conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
“(c) Sells, buys, exposes or offers for sales or otherwise deals in or with the drug popularly known as cocaine, LSD heroine or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offense and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life.”
Also, Section 16 of the Act also provides the punishment for tampering with evidence, which is one of the crimes Kyari is being accused of. On this count, Kyari risks 25years imprisonment if convicted for evidence tampering.
A legal expert, Henry Kelechukwu, who spoke with DailyPost disclosed that the chances Kyari might end up in prison is very high.
He said, “Every case usually has loopholes to be exploited, however, this case is quite close-knitted. The reason is simply that the offenses for which he is being accused to have committed are offenses which have a semblance of strict liability where you need not to even prove intention; of course, it depends on the charge which the prosecuting agency wants to prosecute him with.
According to the lawyer, the quantity we are talking about is a marketable quantity that has already entangled the police officer.
Kelechukwu explained “If you now juxtapose it with the proceeds of crime aspect, which is the dollar exchange made for the said drugs, it makes it a multifaceted charge sheet against him and his co-conspirators. The law has already prescribed in some instances life imprisonment, 25years in imprisonment; it is actually even more than corruption cases.
He added, “In corruption cases, you can have a plea bargain option, where you could return the money to the government for lesser charges, but in this option, you do not have the option of fine or returning money, the least option is jail term, at no time would a jail time not be given.”
There is a no better way to describe Kyari as “a free-falling officer” who was once celebrated for his doggedness in making sure the country gets rid of criminals, a sad ending indeed.