The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, has denied ownership of properties linked to him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in his ongoing trial over alleged non-disclosure of assets.
Testifying on Tuesday before Justice James Omotosho, the presiding judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Kyari addressed the allegations that he failed to fully disclose his assets, which constitutes an offense under the charges filed against him.
The former head of the police intelligence response team (IRT) told the court that some of the contentious properties belonged to his late father, who had “about 30 children.” Kyari further stated that he was surprised by the allegations and claimed that the actual documents for these assets were with the Borno State Ministry of Land.
Kyari also specifically denied ownership of a polo ground reportedly linked to him in Borno, arguing before the court that he could not afford such an expansive piece of property. He stated, “Even Dangote, who is the richest man in Nigeria, does not own such a property; how much more someone like me. The polo ground had been in existence even when I was a child. We used to go there to play.”
However, the suspended DCP admitted ownership of a farmland located along the Abuja–Kaduna road, saying he had been managing the property for approximately a decade.
The trial continues as Kyari and his two brothers, who are co-defendants, were ordered to open their defense after the court dismissed their no-case submission on October 28. The case was adjourned to Wednesday, November 5, for the continuation of the trial.
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