The trial of the detained Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari and others over drug trafficking charge took another dimension as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has requested to shield the identities of lead witnesses line up to testify in the trial.
The former head of Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, is standing trial alongside four members of his team; ACP Sunday J. Ubia, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirigba and Insp. John Nuhu.
In an eight- count charge, the defendants are accused of tampering with cocaine that was seized from two convicted drug peddlers- Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.
The request to mask the identity of its key witnessses was made by the agency’s Director of Legal Services, Mr. Sunday Joseph on Wednesday.
The prosecution counsel disclosed its intention to put forward six key witnesses that will give evidence in the matter.
Mr. Joseph explained that the reason for the request was to ensure the safety of the witnesses.
He said: “My lord, there are some people that are always here in this court to observe the proceeding. Some of them are police officers and some we don’t know their identities.
“We need to protect the witnesses, that is why we are making this application”, the prosecution counsel
Responding to the request, counsel to Abba Kyari, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, he would not oppose the application on one condition that his client and the legal team would be allowed to see the witnesses.
Counsel to all the other Defendants aligned themselves with the position of Kyari’s lawyer.
Justice Emeka Nwite has however directed the NDLEA to file a formal application on the rerequest.
Meanwhile, a Commander of Narcotics at the FCT Command of the agency, Mr. Mohammed Ajia testified in the case as the fourth prosecution witness, (PW4).
The witness, who gave graphic evidence on the activities of the two drug traffickers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, identified himself as head of the operational and administrative affairs of the NDLEA in the FCT, Abuja.
The PW4 further told the court that he had on February 4, 2022, received a letter that notified him of the transfer of the two convicted drug traffickers, Umeibe and Ezenwanne, to his Command, with drug exhibits.
“The letter was signed on behalf of Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, IRT.
“Apart from the two drug traffickers and the exhibits, attached to the letter were equally three international passports and two ID cards.
“On the nature of the drugs transferred to the FCT Command, we received on that day, 12 White Cotton Packs of a powdery substance suspected to be cocaine., as well as an additional 12 packs of the powdery substance in Pellets form.
“So, in all, there were 24 packs that were packed in two travelling bags- One brown and the other one greenish in colour.
“Upon receipt of the letter, I acknowledged it and minuted on the transfer letter to my exhibit keeper”.
Meanwhile, the transfer letter dated January 24, 2022, but received by the NDLEA on February 4, which was signed by the 2nd Defendant in the matter, ACP Ubia, was tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibit 13.
The witness further identified the two bags containing the suspected cocaine that was transferred to the NDLEA by the IRT, which the court earlier admitted and marked as Exhibits 7 and 8.
Continuing his evidence, the witness, said: “My lord, I also witnessed the testing of the substance. The testing was done pack by pack. Each pack had to be tested differently.
“The substance, generally, tested about 80% positive for cocaine, while in the remaining 20%, there were traces of cocaine, suggesting that it may have been adulterated with other powdery substance”.
Ajia who was cross-examined by the defence counsel, said his enquiry from experts that conducted the test, revealed that the substance that was mixed with the cocaine handed to him, was “Bicarbonate”.
Asked if he knew what Bicarbonate means and to describe what it looks, the witness, said: “I am not a chemist or a biochemist so this question is unfair to me. My lord I don’t know what Bicarbonate is”.
He admitted to the court that though the NDLEA maintains operatives in all International Airports in the country, it was however the Kyari led members of the police IRT that arrested the two convicted drug traffickers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.
“It was not our operatives at the international airport in Enugu that brought the seized cocaine”, he added.
Asked if he was aware whether the NDLEA operatives that cleared the two drug traffickers before they were apprehended by the IRT, have been arrested or prosecuted for escorting cocaine into the country, the witness, said: “It is not within my purview to know about such. I am not the Commander of Nigeria but only that of NDLEA in FCT.
“It was Police as an organization that arrested the suspected drug dealers not necessarily the Defendants.
“My first encounter with the two suspected drug traffickers was when they were brought to me through the transfer letter”, the PW-4 added.
Justice Nwite has adjourned trial for Thursday.
Credit: Daily Sun