The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday played a video evidence alleging that operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, helped drug traffickers pass through an airport with cocaine.
The video was presented during the trial of the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, and four other police officers.
Those standing trial alongside Kyari are Sunday J. Ubua, an Assistant Commissioner of Police; Bawa James, an Assistant Superintendent of Police; and two Inspectors, Simon Agirgba and John Nuhu. The officers were members of the Police Intelligence Response Team.
The video was tendered by the defence through Inspector El-John Nwoke, a police officer attached to the Force Headquarters, who appeared as the second defence witness.
While testifying, Nwoke told the court that two convicted drug traffickers, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, allegedly explained how NDLEA officers cleared them at the Enugu Airport before their arrest by the police.
According to him, the suspects were arrested by the Intelligence Response Team on January 19, 2022, at the Enugu airport with 21.55 kilograms of cocaine after arriving from Ethiopia.
Nwoke said the suspects told him they had been involved in the drug trade for a long time and were surprised that they were eventually arrested.
He told the court that the traffickers claimed the individuals who gave them the drugs usually took their photographs and sent them to NDLEA officers stationed at the airport ahead of their arrival.
According to the witness, the traffickers said the NDLEA officers would identify them through their pictures and the clothes they were wearing.
He said the suspects explained that when they arrived at the airport, they would smile at the officers as a signal.
“They said the NDLEA officers would unzip their bags as if they were conducting a routine check and then zip them back to indicate the bags had been cleared,” the witness told the court.
He added that the traffickers told him the substances they carried were usually referred to as “market” and that they were not informed about the quantity they transported.
The witness further said the suspects revealed that after leaving the airport, they usually boarded night buses to deliver the drugs to unidentified recipients.
According to him, the full details of their statements were contained in the video recording presented before the court.
During the hearing, Kyari’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), tendered the video recording, a DVD copy, a certificate of compliance, and a subpoena issued to the witness as evidence.
Justice Emeka Nwite admitted the materials and ordered that the video be played in open court while the witness remained in the witness box.
In the video, which lasted about 27 minutes, Ezenwanne admitted that he knew the substance he carried was cocaine and said it was the second time he was transporting the drug.
He also said he received N500,000 after successfully carrying out a previous drug run in 2021.
Ezenwanne added that after clearing the airport checks, they would board a night bus and contact the person who would receive the drugs.
However, he said they did not know the identity of the final recipient.
In his own statement captured in the video, Umeibe alleged that once they arrived at the airport, NDLEA officers who had received their photographs would recognise them and allow them to pass through routine checks.
“They will open the bag, do a normal search and ask us to go,” he said.
“They don’t search us properly. They won’t say anything if they see anything because they are aware that we are coming,” he added.
Following the proceedings, Justice Nwite adjourned the case until May 20 for continuation of hearing.
