Abba Kyari tells court the properties linked to him by NDLEA belong to his late father and are jointly owned by his 30 siblings, not personally held
Abba Kyari, the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday that several properties linked to him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) belonged to his late father and were jointly owned by his family.
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Opening his defence before Justice James Omotosho, Kyari said his late father left behind over 20 houses in Maiduguri, Borno State, many of which were co-owned by his 30 siblings.
He explained that some of the properties were sold to cover his father’s medical expenses before his death.
Under cross-examination by NDLEA counsel Sunday Joseph, Kyari insisted that he had no reason to declare the properties in his assets form, as he had not received his own share.
“My Lord, I cannot put my interest in the form because the 20 houses belong to my father and not me. If I get my share, I can declare it, but until then, the properties belong to all his children, and we are about 30 in number,” he told the court.
Kyari faces 23 counts filed by the NDLEA, alongside co-defendants Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari, for alleged non-declaration of assets, money laundering, and concealment of property ownership.
The charges contravene the NDLEA Act and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
The prosecution has called 10 witnesses and tendered 20 exhibits.
A no-case submission filed by the defence was dismissed on 28 October, with Justice Omotosho ruling that a prima facie case had been established.
Kyari, who holds a degree in Geography and joined the Nigeria Police Force in 2000, told the court that he understood the asset-declaration process.
However, he maintained that collectively owned family properties could not be listed as personal assets.
He also admitted that proceeds from the sale of some family houses were distributed among relatives to meet immediate needs.
When questioned about the funds traced to his bank accounts, Kyari said the money came from police operational funds and contributions by state governors to support special security assignments.
“As former Commander of the Anti-Robbery Squad and later head of the Intelligence Response Team, I supervised over a thousand operations. Funds were often routed through my account for disbursement,” he stated.
Kyari further explained that certain transfers to his relatives were reimbursements for loans taken to finance urgent police operations while awaiting delayed government releases.
Justice Omotosho said the issue of whether family properties should be included in an asset declaration would be addressed in the final written addresses.
The NDLEA tendered several bank documents bearing Kyari’s name and sought an adjournment to obtain additional records for further cross-examination.
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The court adjourned the matter to 12 November 2025 for continuation of hearing.
