The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned what it described as a deliberate campaign of misinformation by the handlers of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari, aimed at undermining the ongoing drug trafficking case against him.
In a statement issued on March 25, 2026, and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA described recent social media reports alleging complicity by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officers as “fabricated” and part of an effort to subvert the course of justice.
HURIWA said an analysis of official court records and witness statements from the two convicted drug traffickers — Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne , revealed that they explicitly denied any contact or collusion with NDLEA personnel at Enugu International Airport in January 2022.
According to the statement, the convicts maintained that their photographs and travel details were sent directly to Kyari. Despite being on suspension at the time over a separate criminal matter for which the United States is seeking his extradition, Kyari allegedly deployed a team from Abuja to intercept the suspects.
The rights group further alleged that the traffickers were subjected to duress while in custody and forced to implicate NDLEA officers. It described a widely circulated “video confession” as scripted, with Kyari’s associates allegedly directing the content during recording.
HURIWA drew attention to evidence already admitted in court, including a video recording in which Kyari is allegedly seen handing over $61,400 purportedly proceeds from the partial sale of seized cocaine to an NDLEA undercover operative.
The statement also referenced a transcript of a conversation between Kyari and the undercover agent, in which Kyari reportedly outlined how cartel members would provide photographs and details of the couriers, enabling his team to identify and arrest them upon arrival.
This account, HURIWA noted, aligned with the witness statement of Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, who described how his photograph was taken at Addis Ababa Airport in Ethiopia by cartel associates before he was specifically targeted and arrested at Enugu airport by police officers who appeared to have prior intelligence.
HURIWA described the alleged tactics as a “pathetic” attempt at low-level blackmail designed to distract from the substance of the drug trafficking charges.
“The U.S. government and the international community are closely monitoring this case. No amount of digital spin can erase the forensic evidence of a sting operation or the documented breach of public trust,” the statement said.
The group urged the Nigerian judiciary to remain impartial and unaffected by what it termed “subterranean efforts” to influence proceedings. It also appealed to the media to exercise due diligence by cross-checking claims against official court transcripts before dissemination.
The drug trafficking trial involving Kyari and several other suspended police officers is ongoing before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja. This case is separate from a 23-count charge of non-declaration of assets, in which Kyari and his brothers were recently discharged and acquitted by another court.
HURIWA maintained that the core evidence in the drug matter, including the alleged $61,400 transaction, remained intact and cannot be wished away by sponsored narratives.
