Two of the Defendants in the drug trafficking case against suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, named Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwane have received a 6-year sentence on Tuesday.
Driving the news
- Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced the two drug traffickers after a plea bargain agreement on each of counts 5, 6 and 7.
- Justice Emeka Nwite ruled that the convicts showed remorse and would begin their six years’ sentence from the day the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested them.
- The court also ruled that Mr. Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Mr. Emeka Alphonsus submit their international passports under section 30 of the NDLEA Act, Cap M30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
- Justice Nwite also ruled that the duo can testify against DCP Kyari and the four suspected police officers as they are assured of safety in the correctional facilities.
Quick catch-up
Mr. Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Mr. Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwane were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu State while attempting to smuggle in cocaine into the country. The duo had initially pleaded guilty to the charges laid against them when arraigned in court on March 7th 2022 alongside the suspended DCP Abba Kyari and four other police officers.
What you should know
- A plea bargain is a legal agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant wherein the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge or to one of many charges presented by the prosecutor for either a lenient sentence or a complete dismissal of the other charges leveled against the defendant.
- NDLEA, in its charge against the suspended DCP, accused Abba Kyari and his compatriots of illegally tampering with 21.25kilograms of cocaine seized from drug dealers. They also accused the suspected police officers of dealing in cocaine of 17.55kg.
- The duo, Mr. Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Mr. Emeka Alphonsus engaged in unlawful importation of 21.35kg of cocaine; an offence punishable under section 11(d) of the NDLEA Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
- Abba Kyari’s bail request was rejected by a Federal High court in Abuja despite the claim of many death threats by the former DCP.