The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said it has no reason to shield anyone who may be indicted in the course of the ongoing investigation of a 25kg cocaine deal involving a gang headed by the embattled DCP Abba Kyari.
The agency made the assertion in response to the reported indicted of some of its officers by the Inspector General of Police in respect of the drug deal bust.
The anti-drug agency also made more revelations about the alleged connection of the disgraced police officer with the cartel involved in the 25kg cocaine deal.
The NDLEA, in a statement by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said it remained committed to evidence-based investigation, adding that its resolve cannot be weakened by any misrepresentation of facts.
He said some inaccuracies in the information in the public space that NDLEA officers at the Enugu Airport were the ones who received from the cartel details about the mule coming from Addis Ababa needed to be corrected.
“The agency wishes to quote from the transcript of Abba Kyari’s recorded conversation with our undercover officer and a portion of ASP James Bawa’s statement to the police as documented in the police investigation report, a copy of which was made available to the agency.
“It is an established fact that it is the Abba Kyari’s team that was contacted by the cartel and without doubt the records clearly show how their ring works.
“Recall that after NDLEA requested for Kyari and others for interrogation, they were questioned by the police, after which they were handed over, along with the report of their interrogation.
“According to the police investigation report, ASP James Bawa, in his statement to the police, reveals that ‘he was called by an informant identified as IK from Brazil who told him that a drug courier will be arriving on board Ethiopian Airlines in Enugu’.
“He explained further that a pointer from IK, the Brazil-based informant, met with him at about 1420hrs on 19th January 2022 outside the airport and showed him a picture of the courier.
“Subsequently, they sighted the suspect as he exited the airport terminal after all arrival clearance formalities, and he was arrested with another associate,” the statement read in part.
The NDLEA also quoted Abba Kyari, in his own recorded conversation with its undercover officer, to have said the following: “They are greedy, seriously greedy (referring to his informants).
“We tried to have them accept 40 per cent but they refused, except 50 per cent. They know the rudiment of the deal very well; they are the ones that do the packing.
“From Brazil, one of the informants accompanied it to Ethiopia. You understand; one of the informants accompanied the goods to Ethiopia, one of the informants that give us information. He is the boy of the big baron.
“Addis, from Addis it will be given to those to proceed further with it. He will get their snapshots without their knowledge. Yes, he will reveal those that are conveying it further, get snapshots of theirs without their knowledge and send to us.
“So we already know the goods, picture and the cloths they are wearing. Hope you understand. We know your name. He will give us everything. So, automatically my team will just be waiting, they will just see you and arrest you.”
Babafemi further stated that, Abba Kyari, responding to the NDLEA officer’s question on whether his boys are usually stationed inside or outside the airport, said, “Yes, yes, some are outside while some are inside. They will just allow you to finish arrival formalities and arrest you the moment you come out.”
Babafemi, in the statement, said the conversations above, no doubt, established who the cartel was relating with and their modus operandi.
“Again, this is to correct inaccuracies in some reports and assure that the agency will not deviate from an evidence-based investigation that will spare nobody found complicit,” the statement added.
