The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has maintained that it has no reason to shield anyone who may be indicted in the course of the ongoing investigation of a 25kg cocaine deal involving a gang led by the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.
This is as the drug agency has revealed details of how the drug mules contacted Abba Kyari’s team in the drug deal.
The detail of the deal was made known in a statement issued by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday, February 16, 2022, days after the 25kg cocaine deal involving Kyari made headlines.
Babafemi in the statement said that the agency remains committed to evidence-based investigation and its resolve cannot be weakened by any misrepresentation of facts.
More details of how Abba Kyari’s team got involved in the drug deal
Babafemi stated that contrary to the misrepresentation of the facts, it is on record that it was Abba Kyari’s team that was contacted by the drug cartel and not the NDLEA officers.
The statement from NDLEA reads, “To correct some inaccuracies in the information in the public space that NDLEA officers at the Enugu Airport were the ones who received from the cartel details about the mule coming from Addis Ababa, the agency wishes to quote from the transcript of Abba Kyari’s recorded conversation with our undercover officer and a portion of ASP James Bawa’s statement to the police as documented in the police investigation report, a copy of which was made available to the agency, to state that it’s an established fact that it’s the Abba Kyari’s team that was contacted by the cartel and without doubt, the records clearly show how their ring works.
“Recall that after NDLEA requested for Kyari and others for interrogation, they were questioned by the police, after which they were handed over along with the report of their interrogation.
“According to the police investigation report, ASP James Bawa in his statement to the police reveals that ‘he was called by an informant identified as IK from Brazil who told him that a drug courier will be arriving on board Ethiopian Airlines in Enugu.
“He explained further that a pointer from IK, the Brazil-based informant met with him at about 1420hrs on 19th January 2022 outside the airport and showed him a picture of the courier. Subsequently, they sighted the suspect as he exited the airport terminal after all arrival clearance formalities, and he was arrested with another associate.’”
Going further it added: “In his own recorded conversation with our undercover officer, Abba Kyari also said the following: ‘They are greedy, seriously greedy (referring to his informants), we tried to have them accept 40% but they refused, except 50%, they know the rudiment of the deal very well, they are the ones that do the packing.
“From Brazil, one of the informants accompanied it to Ethiopia. You understand; one of the informants accompanied the goods to Ethiopia, one of the informants that give us information. He is the boy of the big baron.
“From Addis, it will be given to those to proceed further with it, he will get their snapshots without their knowledge. Yes, he will reveal those that are conveying it further, get snapshots of theirs without their knowledge and send them to us (Abba Kyari’s team). So, we already know the goods, pictures and the clothes they are wearing, hope you understand, we know your name, he will give us everything. So, automatically my team will just be waiting, they will just see you and arrest you.”
Babafemi pointed out that while responding to the NDLEA officer’s question on whether his boys are usually stationed inside or outside the airport, Abba Kyari said, “Yes, yes, some are outside while some are inside. They will just allow you to finish arrival formalities and arrest you the moment you come out.’’
In his summation, Mr Babafemi asserted that the narrative leaves no doubt and emphatically establishes who the cartel was relating to and their modus operandi.
The NDLEA spokesman assured that the agency will not deviate from an evidence-based investigation that will spare nobody found complicit.
What you should know
Recall that following the indictment of the suspended Abba Kyari in a drug deal by the NDLEA and his subsequent arrest together with some members of his, the Nigeria Police Force had asked the drug agency to produce its officers that worked with suspended DCP Abba Kyari in the exposed cocaine deal.
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, who made the demand after handing over indicted personnel to the anti-narcotics agency, revealed in-house investigation established reasonable grounds for strong suspicion that the IRT officers were involved in some underhand and unprofessional dealings and corruption.
The police said the international narcotics cartel under probe have strong ties with some NDLEA officers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and are on their payroll.
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