Kyari: I Paid N10,000 Bribe, Witness Tells Court

Emeka Ezenwanne, the fifth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, on Thursday narrated before the Federal High Court, Abuja how security agents at the Enugu International Airport took N10,000 bribe from him for clearance of hard drugs.

Earlier, the witness led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr Sunday Joseph, told the court how he brought in the cocaine from Brazil through the Ethiopian Airline and how the contents were later tampered with.

He also narrated how security agents took N10,000 as bribe to aid in bringing packs of cocaine sent to him.

He also revealed during cross-examination by Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, that he brought cocaine into the country twice.

During those occasions, he said, he was neither intercepted nor stopped by security agents.

He said, “At the Enugu Airport, I saw NCDC officials and Immigration agents. I also met two men that took my passport and directed me to a table for searching.

“I was asked to give money to the people that will search my bag. So I gave them N10, 000 and they cleared me.”

When he was asked if he had any interactions with the first defendant, Kyari, the witness said no.

Asked if he was happy that Kyari’s men arrested him after he offered to give them all the cocaine he was caught with, the witness said, “As a human being, I am not happy but I am not angry with anyone.”

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency had accused Chibunna Umeibe and Ezenwane of dealing in cocaine.

It also alleged that Kyari and his men tampered with 21.25kg worth of cocaine seized from them.