(DDM) – Embattled former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the 20 houses and several assets linked to him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) were inherited family properties belonging to his late father.
According to Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), Kyari made the revelation during court proceedings on Wednesday while defending himself against allegations of illicit enrichment and drug trafficking.
The NDLEA had accused the suspended police officer of laundering proceeds from drug-related activities and concealing ownership of multiple luxury properties located across Abuja, Maiduguri, and other Nigerian cities.
However, in a surprising twist, Kyari claimed that the assets in question were part of his late father’s estate, which he said was jointly owned by him and his 30 siblings.
Kyari, once celebrated as Nigeria’s “super cop” for leading the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), insisted that his family had long-standing investments in real estate, predating his entry into the police force.
He told the court that his late father left behind 20 houses and other valuable properties, and that the NDLEA’s claims were a deliberate attempt to tarnish his image.
Kyari’s lawyer, during the hearing, argued that the prosecution’s evidence failed to establish any direct link between the properties and proceeds from criminal activity.
He described the NDLEA’s case as “a media-driven witch-hunt designed to destroy a respected officer who served Nigeria diligently.”
Background checks by DDM show that Abba Kyari’s legal troubles began in 2022 when the NDLEA declared him wanted for allegedly collaborating with international drug cartels.
He was later arrested and detained after being accused of tampering with seized cocaine and attempting to bribe an NDLEA officer.
Before his downfall, Kyari was highly decorated within the Nigeria Police Force, having led several successful operations against kidnappers and armed robbers.
His rise to fame, however, turned into controversy after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) linked him to international fraudster Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
Since then, Kyari’s once-glittering career has been overshadowed by multiple criminal allegations.
His trial has attracted nationwide attention, with many Nigerians divided between those who believe he is being politically persecuted and others who view him as a symbol of deep-seated police corruption.
Critics argue that Kyari’s defense strategy, claiming inheritance, could be an attempt to distance himself from the financial evidence linking him to suspicious transactions. Others, however, insist that the NDLEA must provide irrefutable proof before condemning him.
Meanwhile, the court has adjourned the case for further hearing, as the prosecution prepares to present more witnesses and financial documents tracing the ownership of the contested properties.
As the legal battle unfolds, Nigerians remain glued to what could become one of the country’s most controversial corruption and drug-related trials in recent history.