Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari has denied ownership of the properties allegedly linked to him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the ongoing asset-disclosure trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Testifying before Justice James Omotosho on Tuesday, Kyari told the court that some of the properties in question belonged to his late father, who he said had about 30 children.
“Some of those properties belonged to my late father who had about 30 children,” he stated.
Kyari said he was taken aback when the NDLEA linked several assets to him, insisting that documents relating to the properties were in the custody of the Borno State Ministry of Land.
He further denied ownership of a polo ground in Borno State, describing the claim as unrealistic.
“Even Dangote, who is the richest man in Nigeria, does not own such a property, how much more someone like me,” Kyari said.
According to him, the Borno polo ground mentioned by the NDLEA has existed long before his birth.
“The polo ground had been there since I was a child. We used to go there to play,” he added.
His legal team argued that the NDLEA’s claims were based on assumptions rather than verifiable records of ownership.
While denying ties to the listed assets, Kyari admitted that he owns a farmland along the Abuja–Kaduna road, which he has managed for about ten years.
“I have been managing that farmland for about ten years now. It’s my only property,” he told the court.
Abba Kyari was suspended in 2022 following allegations of involvement in a drug-related case. The NDLEA accused him of conspiring with international drug cartels and failing to disclose several assets.
He has, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The court adjourned the matter to a later date for continuation of trial.
