The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari and his two brothers in a 23-count charge filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over alleged non-declaration of assets.

The charges involved accusations of failing to declare landed properties, conspiracy, and swearing false affidavits. Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence linking Kyari or his brothers to the disputed properties, including locations in Fountain Estate, Kasa, Linda Chuko Road in Asokoro, and Maiduguri, Borno State.

The judge noted that property ownership can be proven through traditional history, title documents, or acts of possession, none of which the NDLE presented. Kyari maintained that the properties in Borno were inherited from his late father.

Justice Omotosho also criticized the prosecution’s inclusion of Kyari’s brothers in the conspiracy charge as unsubstantiated and in bad faith, highlighting the defendants’ service to the country and ruling against any persecution.

This acquittal relates only to the asset declaration case. Separate proceedings, including the long-running cocaine-related case involving Kyari, remain ongoing.