A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two co-defendants of the suspended deputy commissioner of police, Mr. Abba Kyari to two years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
The conviction of the two defendants, Messrs Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne followed their admittance of the crime filed against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Justice Emeka Nwite who pronounced judgement on the convicts on Tuesday said having admitted to have committed the offence preferred against them in counts 5, 6 and 7 by the NDLEA, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who are 6th and 7th defendants, “are hereby convicted accordingly.”
He said the terms, which run concurrently, would commence from the day the defendants were arrested by the NDLEA.
Recall that the NDLEA had in March 2022, arraigned Kyari, four of his colleagues in the inspector general of police special intelligence response team and the two convicts on an eight-count criminal charge bordering on involvement in cocaine deal.
However, the conviction and subsequent sentencing of the two defendants was delayed following claims by Kyari that it may affect his trial as well as others who pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Umeibe and Ezenwanne were arrested by the police at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and handed over to the NDLEA.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, NDLEA’s lawyer, Mr. Sunday Joseph, told the court that two motions seeking for a plea bargain in respect of Umeibe and Ezenwanne had been filed.
Joseph said the motions, dated June 13, were filed on June 14.
Counsel for the two defendants, E. U. Okenyi also concurred with litigant lawyer’s submission.
Also, counsel for the other defendants, including Kyari, did not oppose the motions.
