In what seems like a drama, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)’s witness in the trial of DCP Abba Kyari and others, Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, on Thursday, indicted the operatives of the NDLEA stationed at the Enugu International Airport.
Ezenwanne made the disclosure during a cross examination by counsel for Kyari and two others, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court, Abuja.
It would be recalled that Ezenwanne and Chibunna Patrick Umeibe were the two drug traffickers who smuggled cocaine into the country from Ethiopia through Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu and were arrested by Police IRT outside Enugu Airport after they were cleared by NDLEA officers they confessed to have paid, on 19/1/2022 and officially transferred to NDLEA with the drugs on 25/1/2022.
They were convicted and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment on plea bargain after they pleaded guilty to the three counts preferred against them by the NDLEA.
Justice Nwite had ordered that the three counts, which attracted two-year jail terms each, would run concurrently following their rediculus plea bargain agreement with the anti-narcotic agency.
They also agreed to stand as NDLEA’s witness in the trial of the five police officers of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of Police headed by Kyari.
Other police officers include ACP Sunday Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba and Insp John Nuhu who are 2nd to 5th defendants respectively.
However, the Police officers all pleaded not guilty to the charges of alleged tempering with the exhibits they recovered from the Drug traffickers they arrested themselves and transferred to NDLEA.
At the resumed trial, Convict Ezenwanne said though he was not a drug dealer, he had only smuggled drugs into Nigeria on two occasions.
During cross examination, Ezenwanne admitted that he was told by the barons that he would need to have some money with him for “those people that will search his bag.”
According to him, he gave the agents at the airport N10, 000 to clear him before the police IRT officers arrested him outside the Enugu Airport.
Ezenwanne admitted that after they were arrested, they “They pleaded with the police to pervert justice by taking all the cocaine in order to allow them go” but the IRT Officers led by ASP James Bawa the 3rd Dependant rejected the Offer and stood their ground not to compromise with them.
The senior lawyer also asked him if he had ever had any interaction with Abba Kyari, the 1st defendant, throughout his ordeal or at any time during his life time, and he said, “no.”
Ezenwanne also said he had never had any interaction with ACP Ubua, the 2nd defendant in the matter.
Earlier when he was being led in evidence by NDLEA’s lawyer, Joseph Sunday, Ezenwanne identified in the open court ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba and Insp. John Nuhu who are 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants respectively as the Police officers who arrested him and investigated his case..
He said ASP James Bawa 3rd defendant led the team that arrested them.
Ezenwanne said despite all the offers of taking all the Cocaine drugs and later money plus the Cocaine, they decided to give the police officers to free them, the IRT police officers led by ASP James Bawa 3rd defendant rejected the offers and refused to listen to them.
“As it was happening, my second, Chibunna, Also begged them to leave us and carry those stuff (cocaine). But they refused again,” he stressed.
The witness said the police officers contacted their boss and they were asked to transfer them to Abuja.
