•As court adjourns hearing till April 27
Alex Enumah
A Federal High Court in Abuja was yesterday informed that suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, was yet to be served with a suit of the federal government seeking his extradition to the United States of America to answer to corruption allegations.
The federal government through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation last month went to the Federal High Court for an Order for the extradition of Kyari over his alleged involvement in a wire fraud to the tune of $1.1 billion.
At the last proceedings of March 9, 2022, the court had held that hearing in the suit would commence on March 23, 2022.
However, hearing yesterday could not take place as scheduled following claims that the defendant was yet to be served with the suit.
Kyari’s lawyer, Mr. Nureni Jimoh, informed the court, shortly after the matter was mentioned that he was yet to be served with the AGF’s processes.
FG’s lawyer, Pius Akutah, who is also Head of Central Authority Unit in the office of the AGF, also confirmed that the respondent (Kyari) had not been served with the processes.
He explained that the delay in serving the respondent was as a result of a sister case filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) against Kyari and six others on alleged drug offences before Justice Emeka Nwite.
According to him, the case before Nwite had taken so much of their time.
Responding, trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, asked the applicant’s lawyer how long it would take them to serve the respondent with the court’s processes to which he said 14 days.
Akutah, who said he had within 14 days to effect the service in accordance with the law, promised to serve Kyari’s counsel the application by today.
As a result of these, in a short ruling, Justice Ekwo, held that upon service of the processes, the respondent have within 14 days to also respond and gave seven more days for the parties to put their house in order.
The judge adjourned the matter until April 27 for hearing.
The federal government had sought for Kyari’s extradition to the United States (U.S) to answer a case over his alleged linked with the fraudster, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.
The federal government, through the Office of the AGF, had filed the application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/249/2022.
The application was filed under the Extradition Act, as part of Nigerian government’s approval of the request by the U. S. for Kyari’s extradition.
The suit, titled: “Application for the Extradition of Abba Alhaji Kyari to the United States of America,” was dated and filed March 2.
The application was filed under the Extradition Act, as part of Nigerian government’s approval of the request by the US for Kyari’s extradition.
While the AGF is the applicant, Kyari is the respondent in the application.
Kyari was formerly the head of Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
