ABUJA, NIGERIA — The high-profile drug trafficking trial of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari took a dramatic turn on Monday, March 16, 2026, as the Federal High Court in Abuja viewed a video intended to indict the prosecution's own agency. The video, previously admitted as Exhibit D-3, features the confessional statements of two convicted drug traffickers who claim that operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) actively assisted them in smuggling cocaine into the country.
The "Sign Language" Allegation The video, which runs for approximately 27 minutes and 2 seconds, was tendered through the second defense witness, Inspector El-John Nwonke. In the recording, the two convicted traffickers—Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne—narrate their arrival at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu from Ethiopia.
According to their recorded testimony, they were not worried about security because their "handlers" had already sent their photographs and clothing descriptions to NDLEA officers on duty. One of the traffickers, Ezenwanne, explained that the operatives used specific sign language and "smiling faces" as codes to signal that the path was clear. They alleged that they were only arrested by the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), led by Kyari, after they had successfully been cleared by the NDLEA at the airport.
Defense Strategy: A Counter-Indictment Kyari’s lead counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), and Abdul Mohammed (SAN), are using this evidence to argue that the NDLEA’s prosecution of the "Super Cop" is a diversion from systemic corruption within the agency itself. The defense maintains that Kyari’s team was performing its duty by arresting traffickers that the anti-narcotic agency had supposedly allowed to pass.
NDLEA Stands Its Ground Despite the playing of the video, the NDLEA remains firm in its prosecution. The agency alleges that after the IRT arrested the traffickers, Kyari and his team tampered with 21.35kg of recovered cocaine, allegedly removing 17.55kg and substituting it with another substance. The agency also maintains a separate count against Kyari for allegedly attempting to bribe an NDLEA officer with $61,400 to facilitate the cover-up.
A Complex Legal Week for Kyari This development comes just days after a separate victory for the embattled officer. On March 6, 2026, a different High Court judge dismissed a 23-count charge of non-declaration of assets against Kyari, ruling that the NDLEA failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. While that acquittal provided a boost to the Kyari family, the substantive drug trafficking case remains the primary hurdle for the former IRT boss. The trial has been adjourned to allow the defense and prosecution to compare the video’s transcript with the footage played in open court.
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