“20 Houses Linked to Me Belong to My Father, Shared by 30 Siblings” — Abba Kyari Tells Court

Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari appeared in the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday to defend himself against allegations from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) concerning undeclared assets. Kyari told the court that several properties linked to him by the agency were actually inherited from his late father and jointly owned by his 30 siblings. He explained that his father left behind more than 20 houses in Maiduguri, Borno State, and that some of these properties had been sold to cover medical expenses before his father’s death. Kyari said he had not declared the properties in his asset forms because he had not yet received his portion.

Under cross-examination, Kyari reiterated that he could not declare what legally belonged to all of his siblings. “All the properties left behind by my father belong to all his children and we are about 30 in number,” he told the court. He also emphasized that some proceeds from property sales had been distributed among relatives in need.

Kyari is facing 23 counts brought by the NDLEA, which accused him and co-defendants Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari of failing to declare assets, disguising ownership of properties, and misappropriating funds. The charges, filed under Section 35(3)(a) of the NDLEA Act and Section 15(3)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, have seen the prosecution call 10 witnesses and tender 20 exhibits. The court had earlier dismissed a no-case submission by the defendants, allowing the trial to proceed.

During his testimony, Kyari also challenged the NDLEA’s evidence, saying the agency had not provided certified copies of title documents required under Section 128 of the Evidence Act. He admitted that he initially refused to complete his asset-declaration form without his lawyers present and clarified that funds traced to his accounts were linked to police operations he supervised, including more than 1,000 missions as Commander of the Anti-Robbery Squad and head of the Intelligence Response Team. Kyari said some funds routed through his account were used to repay loans from relatives needed to fund urgent operations.

Justice James Omotosho noted that the issue of whether family-owned properties should be declared would be considered in the final written submissions. The court adjourned the case to November 12 for continuation, after the prosecution requested time to present additional bank documents.