Inside Abba Kyari’s drug cartel operations – NDLEA

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A logo of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA)

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Wednesday, stated that its officers were not part of the drug ring to which arrested police officer Abba Kyari and his gang belonged.

Kyari and four others were arrested for selling off 15kg out of 25kg seized from a drug courier.

In a statement on Wednesday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said Abba Kyari confirmed to the NDLEA undercover cop that his (Kyari) men were usually stationed at the airport anytime an informant squealed on a drug courier.

Babafemi said Kyari told investigators that his ‘boys’ usually receive description and photograph of whom to arrest from their informant.

When asked if his men were usually at the airport, Kyari allegedly said, “Yes, yes, some (of my boys) are outside while some are inside. They will just allow you to finish arrival formalities and arrest you the moment you come out.”

Babafemi quoted Kyari to have said, “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.

“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 to us (Abba Kyaris team). So we already know the goods, picture and the cloths 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.”

The NDLEA statement further said ASP James Bawa corroborated Kyari’s confession.

Bawa reportedly told police investigators that an informant, named IK, called him from Brazil about a drug courier onboard an Ethiopian Airlines.

Bawa stated that he met with the said IK later on 19th January 2022 outside the airport and he 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.”

The NDLEA said the confession “establishes who the cartel was relating with and their modus operandi”.

“Again, this is to correct inaccuracies in some reports and assure that the Agency will not deviate from an evidence-based investigation that will spare nobody found complicit,” the statement stated.