Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that several properties linked to him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) were inherited family assets belonging to his late father and shared among 30 siblings.
Kyari, who opened his defence before Justice James Omotosho on Wednesday, said his father left behind more than 20 houses in Maiduguri, Borno State, some of which were sold to cover medical expenses before his death.
He insisted that the properties did not belong to him personally, explaining that he could not declare them in his asset form since his share of inheritance had not been allocated.
“My Lord, I cannot put my interest about the property in the form because the 20 houses belong to my father and not me,” Kyari said under cross-examination by NDLEA counsel, Sunday Joseph. “If I get my percentage of share, I can put it, but until then, all the properties left behind by my father belong to all his children, and we are about 30 in number.”
The embattled officer is facing 23 charges filed by the NDLEA, which accused him and two co-defendants — Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari — of failing to declare assets, disguising ownership of properties, and converting funds contrary to the law. The charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022, were brought under Section 35(3)(a) of the NDLEA Act and Section 15(3)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
The prosecution has so far called 10 witnesses and tendered 20 exhibits before closing its case. A no-case submission filed by Kyari and his co-defendants was dismissed on October 28 after the court held that a prima facie case had been established, paving the way for the defendants to enter their defence.
Kyari maintained that the NDLEA failed to prove ownership of the disputed properties, arguing that no certified title documents were presented to link him directly to the assets. “About four of the properties were sold then,” he added.
He further testified that the millions of naira traced to his accounts were operational funds released by the police and some state governors for security missions. As former commander of the Anti-Robbery Squad and later head of the Intelligence Response Team, he said funds were sometimes routed through his account for disbursement during over 1,000 operations.
When questioned about funds transferred to relatives, Kyari said they were repayments for personal loans he obtained to fund urgent operations when official disbursements were delayed.
Justice Omotosho noted that the question of whether family properties must be declared would be addressed in the parties’ final written submissions. The NDLEA tendered additional bank documents bearing Kyari’s name and requested time to obtain more evidence.
The court adjourned the matter until November 12 for continuation of the hearing.
