Two co-defendants of the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari in a suit filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over alleged cocaine deal have been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The judgement, which was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Emeka Nwite, noted that having admitted to committing 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 thereby found guilty and convicted accordingly.”
Hence, the trial court sentenced them to two years imprisonment on each of counts 5, 6 and 7, stating that the terms, which shall run concurrently, would commence from the day the defendants were arrested by the NDLEA.
Recall that the two defendants, Umeibe and Ezenwanne, who are 6th and 7th defendants respectively in the matter, were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu by the Nigerian police and handed over to the NDLEA for drug trafficking.
During the trial they pleaded guilty to five, six and seven counts preferred against them by the anti-narcotic agency and prayed for a plea bargain before the court.
This was stated by counsel for the NDLEA, Sunday Joseph who revealed that two motions seeking a plea bargain in respect of Umeibe and Ezenwanne had been filed.
Joseph said the motions, dated June 13, were filed on June 14.
The lawyer of the two defendants, E. U. Okenyi, also concurred with Joseph’s submission.
Also, counsel for other defendants, including Kyari, did not oppose the motions.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Kyari and his men unlawfully tampered with 21.25kg worth of cocaine.
Umeibe and Ezenwanne were accused of conspiring with others at large to import 21.35kg of cocaine into the country.
The suspended police chief was remanded in the custody of the NDLEA after attempting to bribe an official of the agency with $61,000 to facilitate the release of seized cocaine.
Kyari had also been accused of committing wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft and is wanted by the US government.