HURIWA accuses Abba Kyari of spreading falsehood to derail trial
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari of orchestrating “a coordinated campaign of falsehood” aimed at obstructing justice
- From AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari of orchestrating “a coordinated campaign of falsehood” aimed at obstructing justice in his ongoing drug trafficking trial.
In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, the rights group said it was alerting the Nigerian public and the international community to “a coordinated campaign of calumny and deliberate misinformation” allegedly being driven by Kyari’s handlers.
The statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the claim circulating on social media that two convicted drug traffickers had indicted officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) was “a total fabrication and a clumsy attempt to subvert the course of justice”.
The group said its position followed “an in-depth investigation” into the reports.
It explained that its findings were backed by official court records and witnesses’ statements already before the court.
According to HURIWA, the actual evidence contradicts the narrative being promoted by Kyari’s camp.
The group noted that the convicted traffickers - Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne - categorically denied any contact or collusion with NDLEA officers at the Enugu airport in January 2022.
“Our findings, backed by official court records and witnesses’ statements, reveal a starkly different reality from the narrative being pushed by Kyari’s camp,” the statement said.
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It added that the convicts admitted that their photographs and travel details were sent directly to Kyari, who allegedly acted on the information, despite being on suspension at the time, over another criminal case.
HURIWA also claimed that Kyari, who is also being sought by the United States government for extradition, “dispatched a team from Abuja to Enugu to intercept the traffickers for his own ends”.
The group alleged that the suspects were later coerced while in Kyari’s custody to implicate NDLEA officials, describing a viral video confession as manipulated.
“The convicts have stated on record that while in Kyari’s custody, they were forced under duress to indict the NDLEA.
“The ‘video confession’ currently being circulated was scripted, with Kyari’s men actively dictating what the suspects should say while recording,” it said.
HURIWA insisted that documentary evidence already admitted in court, including video footage and transcripts, contradict the claims being circulated online.
“The world has seen the video of Abba Kyari handing over $61,400 to an NDLEA undercover agent. This cash was established to be proceeds from the sale of part of the cocaine seized from the same convicts,” the group stated.
It described attempts to discredit the prosecution as diversionary, warning that the case was under close international scrutiny.
“It is pathetic that a high-ranking officer would resort to such low-level blackmail. This is a clear attempt to distract the public from the gravity of the drug trafficking charges. The U.S. government and the global community are watching this case closely. You cannot ‘spin’ your way out of a forensic sting operation,” HURIWA said.
