On Tuesday, journalists covering the trial of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, and others, were barred from Court 10 of the Federal High Court in Abuja, following an application presented to the court by Sunday Joseph, counsel to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order, which sought to protect the next witness scheduled to give evidence in Kyari’s trial. Joseph requested that other lawyers, litigants, visitors and journalists should not be allowed in the courtroom while the hearing took place.
Justice Nwite stood down the matter to enable non-parties in the anti-narcotics suit against the suspended police officers to vacate the courtroom. However, upon his return, Emmanuel Oluwabiyi, a lawyer present for another matter, voiced his concern over the application, stating that he found it embarrassing.
Justice Nwite pleaded with lawyers who were not present for Kyari’s trial to bear with the court in the interim, and that their matters too would be heard as soon as hearing was over.
When asked about the basis of the application, Joseph stated that it was to protect the witnesses, who are intelligent officers, in the matter. He also expressed concern over members of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, who were loyal to Kyari, still coming to court, insisting that it was for the witnesses’ protection. He further added that the present witnesses could not be exposed to the public.
Kyari and three other co-defendants filed an application to dismiss the NDLEA’s charges against them two weeks ago. The defendants had urged the court to stop their trial because they had not been subjected to the internal disciplinary action of the Nigeria Police Council and the Police Service Commission, as provided by the constitution.
The failure of the NDLEA to wait for a disciplinary action against them rendered the charge incompetent and deprived the court of jurisdiction to entertain the charges, they argued.
As at the time of filing this report, the hearing was still ongoing.
