His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR,
Presidential Villa,
Aso Rock,
Abuja.
13th June 2023
A PLEA TO RELEASE DCP ABBA KYARI FOR GENUINE AND EFFECTIVE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, KIDNAPPINGS, ASSASSINS, BANK ROBBERIES AND BANDITRY IN NIGERIA.
Your Excellency Sir;
Permit us to congratulate you on winning the keenly contested Presidential election of 2023 and your successful swearing in on the 29th of May 2023 as the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mr President Sir, on the 22nd of May 2023 the Center for Democracy and Human Rights CEDEHUR held an International press conference on The complicity of the NDLEA in the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria,where we highlighted and exposed the clandestine, questionable and suspicious activities of the NDLEA under Gen Buba Marwa rtd.We stated that as a CSO we would want him investigated and Appropriate action be taken if found guilty.
A copy of the press release is hereby attached Mr President.
What CEDEHUR found out in a nutshell, Your Excellency, was that the NDLEA officers in Akanu Ibiam international airport in Enugu were colluding with drug barons and international drug cartels to bring hard drugs into Nigeria in large quantities from Brazil. The Intelligence Response Team, IRT, of the Nigeria Police formerly led by DCP Abba Kyari acting on a tip off arrested two of the drug traffickers namely Patrick Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne with over 21 kilograms of chemicals suspected to be cocaine full to the brim in their 2 carry-on bags at the car park of the Enugu airport after they had been cleared by the NDLEA officers at the airport, as confessed by the international Drug traffickers both on video and in written when they were with the Police.
They had arrived in Nigeria in an Ethiopian Airline flight from Addis Ababa which originally took off from Brazil.
After their arrest by the IRT they confessed in writing and also on video that their bosses had bribed the NDLEA officers at the Enugu airport with 10 million naira for each before their arrival and their pictures was snapped and sent to NDLEA officers in Enugu Airport while they were in Ethiopia to facilitate their easy identification and clearing that is to aid and abet their free passage and that they were about thirty (30) of them on that flight, They then pleaded with the IRT police officers to take the whole seized cocaine with a street value of over one hundred (100) million naira and let them go. The IRT officers refused the offers and being respecters of the powers vested in different government agencies, voluntarily officially handed them over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution. This was not the first time that the IRT was doing that.
Your Excellency Sir, that is when the story took a dramatic turn. The NDLEA went ahead to set up DCP Abba Kyari and his IRT officers, when Abba Kyari who was not aware of the arrest and investigation by Police IRT was called into the matter at the last point by the IRT team leader to help approach a very senior officer in NDLEA he had known for a long time to help in rewarding the whistle blower that delivered good job. The Police had sworn to reward him before he agreed to provide a tip off and even promised to reveal other drug barons in order to arrest the increasing spate of drug trafficking on the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria route.
The NDLEA instead of advising the Police on whether or not the whistle blower can be rewarded, organised a malicious set up against the Police followed by a massive sponsored media trial and falsehoods, saying that they who had initially arrested the drug traffickers without the knowledge of the NDLEA and still handed them over with the seized 21 kilograms of cocaine to NDLEA had tempered with some of the hard drugs they recovered solely by themselves and NDLEA falsely told the media that the Police are involved in drug trafficking whereas it was the NDLEA that was actually implicated and indicted by the international drug traffickers arrested by Police IRT and transferred to NDLEA in their written and video confessions that NDLEA officers in Enugu Airport are conniving with them and their Bosses the international drug Cartel members to bring heavy drugs into Nigeria multiple times.
DCP Abba Kyari and his IRT officers who voluntarily reported to the Police FIB after receiving phone call that there was a complaint by NDLEA, thereafter the Police hurriedly transferred her officers to NDLEA while NDLEA refused to transfer their indicted NDLEA officers to the Police as requested by the Police on 14/2/2022.
The NDLEA immediately went on media trial by releasing lots of falsehood to the Media and later filed trumped up charges in court against the Police IRT officers and they are still fighting tooth and nail dropping big names to ensure the Police officers are not granted bail to date after 16 months in custody for allegations that are bailable in Nigerian Laws. While same NDLEA in 2022 after few months allowed bail for several alleged Billionaire Drug Baron lncluding Chief Mallison Ukatu who they announced to the world that he imported 22 billion naira drugs into Nigeria, Chief Ugoh whom they said they caught with 8.9 billion naira drugs are all free today.
Also It baffles every reasonable and right thinking Nigerian on how the main criminals in this case the International drug traffickers have been released after just 16 months imprisonment while Police IRT officers who arrested them, refused to compromise and transferred the Drugs and drugs traffickers to NDLEA are still in jail.
The NDLEA agreed on a ridiculous plea bargain with the International Drug traffickers and they were convicted and sentenced to just two (2) years in prison for a crime that they were originally supposed to spend twenty eight (28) years in prison upon conviction!
The convicted drug traffickers were recently released from the Suleja prison on the 19th of May 2023 while the IRT officers led by DCP Abba Kyari who arrested them are still in detention in Kuje prison without bail!
Your Excellency Sir, this is the height of injustice on these police officers of the IRT who were just doing their legitimate job patriotically by arresting and transferring drug traffickers to a sister security agency for investigation and prosecution.
The NDLEA have been clearly implicated by the confessions of the convicted drug traffickers and in an attempt to cover up their dirty acts they went ahead to set up DCP Abba Kyari and his IRT officers and also kept opposing any application for bail by their lawyers. Because they know if Abba Kyari and team are out they will expose all the secrets of NDLEA.
This is pure wickedness with malicious intention that spells vendetta and witch-hunting of DCP Abba Kyari and his IRT officers knowing fully well that granting them bail won’t stop the case from going on in Court. Furthermore the NDLEA under Gen Buba Marwa rtd did not arrest the international drug traffickers in question but Police IRT did, NDLEA refused to arrest or declare wanted the drug barons mentioned as behind the massive importation of Drugs that the convicted drug traffickers mentioned in their confessional statements to the IRT and NDLEA as their bosses who not only gave them the hard drugs to smuggle into Nigeria many times but also bribed the NDLEA officers in Enugu airport with 10 million for every trafficker they allowed in.
There was absolutely no mention of the drug barons at all by NDLEA, no action was taken to arrest them, neither traced their properties bought from drug monies but NDLEA out of Vendetta, Vindictiveness, Malice and Persecution continued charging the Police officers and their family members to multiple courts on different trumped up charges without any Evidence while the main criminals the International drug traffickers who confessed their bosses are settling NDLEA as they brought heavy drugs into Nigeria multiple times are allowed to go free on 19/5/2023 after just 16 months.
This is a clear indictment on the leadership of the NDLEA as this clearly shows that they are either an accomplice with the drug barons and working for the Drug barons and the international drug traffickers.
Furthermore, none of the indicted NDLEA officers in Enugu Airport was arrested or prosecuted despite the confessions of the international drug traffickers and CCTV footages in Enugu Airport which captured the activities of their officers in clearing the international drug traffickers arrested by the Police IRT.
Mr President Sir, CEDEHUR would like to commend you for hitting the ground running as the President of Nigeria. You boldly tackled the fuel subsidy issue by removing it in your first speech and day in office as president. You suspended the ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele who inflicted pains, hardship and untold suffering on all Nigerians by his ill advised Naira redesign policy, and you have also removed the EFCC boss to fight corruption and economic crimes better.
The quick passage of the student loan bill to assist Nigerian youths to pay for their tertiary education is also noted with gratitude Sir.
You cleared the doubts of most Nigerians who doubted you and your good intentions Sir, CEDEHUR congratulates you on these prompt and decisive decisions that have impacted positively on governance in Nigeria.
It is imperative and exigent Sir, that having tackled these burning issues quickly, positive actions taken on crude oil theft and the petroleum industry and finally the future of Nigerian youths in relation to tertiary education and loans the next to be tackled should be the challenge of insecurity in virtually every section of Nigeria.
Your Excellency Sir, DCP Abba Kyari and his IRT team performed very well when he was in charge and arrested thousands of notorious terrorists, killers, kidnappers, bandits, cattle rustlers and armed robbers across all the Geo-Political zones in Nigeria and curtailed the growth of deadly crimes in the country effectively, his records are very clear for all to see by simply googling on his achievements. Mr President Sir, you also witnessed how he led the clearing of deadly armed robbers, kidnappers, Bank robbers and other deadly criminals in Lagos and across Southwest from 2007 to 2015 and his work across Nigeria from 2015 to 2021. Permit us to mention just a few sir.
1) The arrest of billionaire kidnapper Onwumere Onwuamamadike AKA Evans,
2) Neutralisation of the deadliest kidnapper in Nigeria”s history Terror kidnap kingpin of the SouthEast Vampire,
3)The arrest of the most wanted Armed Robber in Nigeria for 14yrs, Godogodo, who had confessed to killing over 500 Nigerians and over 200 Police officers in the Southwest.
4)Arrest of Boko Haram terrorist Commanders who had masterminded the Nyanya car park bombing in Abuja and kuje market bombings in Abuja 2015,
5)Arrested some of the Boko Haram terrorists who in 2014 kidnapped the Chibok girls in Borno state.
6) Arrested 22 Boko Haram terrorist Commanders who Coordinated the Terrorist Suicide bombings in Maiduguri and North eastern Nigeria and also traced and destroyed two (2) of their bomb making factories and effectively ended terrorist bombings in Maiduguri and North eastern Nigeria.
7)He also traced 2 more Bomb Making factories in Gaulaka in Niger state and Karma Jiji in Abuja and recovered alot of Explosives and chemicals for making Explosives that effectively ended terrorist bombings in Abuja after arresting the Boko Haram terrorist.
8) Arrested 13 terrorist kidnappers and set free relative of ex President Buhari the Magajin Garin Daura who was kidnapped in Daura Katsina state and moved to Kano state where he was kept for 61 days in Captivity and a ransom of thirty (30) million dollars(About 24billion Naira) was demanded by the terrorist before Kyari rescued him free without Paying one kobo to the Terrorist and arrested all the Libyan trained Terrorist kidnappers.
9) Arrested the Offa bank robbers who robbed 5 banks in Offa town Kwara state and killed 31 innocent Nigerians including 9 Police officers and a Pregnant woman, making it the deadliest bank robbery in the History of Nigeria.
10) Arrested the killers of the former Chief of Defence Staff late General Alex Badeh.
11)Arrested the kidnappers and killers of Rev Fr Adeyi in Benue State,
12) Arrested the kidnappers of Chief Olu Falae in Ondo state.
13)Arrested the Niger Delta Militants and kidnappers of the Ikorodu school children, Epe school children and Turkish school children, Kidnappers of Oniba of Iba a first class king all in Lagos State.
14) DCP Abba Kyari and his IRT also arrested all the Niger Delta Militants behind the famous 2015 Ikorodu Bank Robbery, Festac Bank Robbery, Lekki Bank Robbery and Agbara Bank Robberies all in Lagos.
15) Kyari and his IRT in 2016 arrested the Niger Delta Militants who came to Lagos with over 100 Explosives to blow up the 3rd main land bridge. Kyari using technology arrested them and recovered all the Explosives less that 24hrs before the blow the 3rd main land bridge.
16) Kyari and his team also arrested Urban Gorilla, the head of the Niger Delta Avengers and his group which ended the Pipeline bombings by Niger Delta Avengers in the South South 2016.
17) Kyari and his team fought DOGGEDLY in the South East 2021 after IGP deployed them to halt the Massive and multiple attacks on Police Stations and killing of Police and Army officers by Heavily Armed IPOB terrorist members in the Southeast, as a result of well Coordinated high precision Intelligence led Operations with other security agencies Coordinated by Kyari, the Overall IPOB terrorist Commander in the Southeast Ikosun and also Commanders Dragon, Biggie, Onye Army and many other Senior Commanders and hundreds of Armed fighters were arrested and neutralised.
OUR PLEA IN CEDEHUR.
1. Mr President Sir,
With the sterling records of DCP Abba Kyari and his IRT officers in successfully fighting violent crimes and terrorism in Nigeria in unprecedented way and the subsequent escalation and prevalence of the same violent crimes and general insecurity since his absence because of Malicious Set Up by NDLEA, it is our plea in CEDEHUR that DCP Abba Kyari and his IRT officers in the interest National Security of Nigeria be released, equipped and supported to continue their fight against violent crimes, bandits, Insurgents, terrorists, kidnappers, Armed robbers, Assassins and heinous crimes across Nigeria immediately. The Key Importance of the fight against insecurity in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised.
2. That you use your good office as President of Nigeria to immediately set up a committee (which in our observation of your government seeing how you work without wasting time) to investigate the activities of the NDLEA and its relationship with drug barons and international trafficker under Gen Buba Marwa rtd, especially in this case where clearly indicted NDLEA officers at the Enugu airport were shielded and drug barons mentioned by convicted drug traffickers in confessional statements were not investigated, arrested or even declared wanted.
Also those drug barons mentioned by the convicted drug traffickers should be arrested, investigated and prosecuted by a neutral security agency like the DSS immediately.
It is very clear now that only Drug Barons and Drug Traffickers who are not settling NDLEA are the ones being arrested and heavily celebrated in the media today while the main Actors as confessed by the international drug traffickers arrested by Police IRT and transferred to NDLEA are freely operating and bringing heavy drugs into Nigeria openly in carry on bags full to the brims, multiple times without being arrested.
3. That the case of the two (2) allegedly prominent billionaire drug barons namely Mallison Ukatu and Chief Ugoh and others who were arrested in Lagos and allegedly involved with massive hard drug importation worth over 22 billion naira and 8.9 billion naira respectively as announced by the same NDLEA press releases in 2022, were later released after few months in detention and happily went home to reunite with their families and even did Thanksgiving in church be reviewed.
CONCLUSION
Mr President Sir,
The Center for Democracy and Human Rights thank you for reading our letter, plea and petition.
We believe that in the interest of fairness, justice, equity and national security, Sir, You will act on it immediately.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
May God bless President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and may Nigeria succeed under you your Excellency.
Hon Michael Sunday Emaluji
Converner.
Adebayo Lion Ogorry
Secretary General/Spokesperson.
Cc
The Vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,His Excellency Kashim Shettima GCON.
The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,Her Excellency Sen Oluremi Tinubu.
The Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,His Excellency Sen Godswill Akpabio.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,Rt Hon ….
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation,His Excellency Sen George Akume.
The Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.