COURT ACQUITS ABBA KYARI OF 23-COUNT ASSET DECLARATION CHARGE

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari of a 23-count charge bordering on alleged non-declaration of assets.The case was filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which accused Kyari of failing to declare several properties and attempting to conceal their ownership.Kyari was charged alongside his two brothers, who were alleged to have sworn false affidavits in order to hide the origin of some of the properties listed in the charge.Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution failed to present credible evidence linking Kyari to the properties in question.According to the court, ownership of landed property must be established through clear evidence such as title documents, acts of possession, or traditional ownership history. The judge noted that the NDLEA did not provide such proof.The court also stated that no documents were presented to connect Kyari to properties allegedly located at Fountain Estate in Kasana, on Linda Choko Road in Asokoro, Abuja, or in Maiduguri, Borno State.Kyari had maintained in his defence that the Maiduguri properties belonged to his late father and were inherited by him and his siblings. The court held that the prosecution failed to disprove this claim.Justice Omotosho further ruled that the conspiracy charges against Kyari’s brothers were not proven and appeared to have been filed in bad faith.Consequently, the court discharged and acquitted all the defendants on all counts