Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari was on Monday arraigned at a federal high court sitting in Abuja.
Mr Kyari, detained by the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) alongside his accomplices, was accused of illicit drug deals while his extradition request by the United States since last year August remained pending.
Critics say the drug accusation is a plot by the federal government and its agency to scuttle his extradition.
The President Muhammadu Buhari led administration approved the extradition process of the disgraced cop last week, saying it did so because the accused was not being tried on any offence in the country but claims by the NDLEA showed the drug related charges were filed before the federal government’s approval.
While the anti-nacortic agency, through its spokesman Femi Babafemi, said it filed charges at the court on Monday, February 28, 2022, the federal government gave its approval for the extradition process to begin on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
“Please note that the charges against Abba Kyari and 6 others were filed by
@ndlea_nigeria since Monday 28th February 2022, the case since assigned to a judge with arraignment fixed for Monday 7th March at FHC 8 Abuja,” Mr Babafemi clarified on Twitter.
On Monday, Mr Kyari dressed in blue native attire appeared in court to be tried on the drug trafficking charges against him and four other accomplices arrested alongside with him.
Two other suspects were said to have been arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu for drug trafficking.
