Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari has denied ownership of the properties allegedly traced to him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the ongoing asset-disclosure trial before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Testifying before Justice James Omotosho on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Kyari described the NDLEA’s claims as “shocking and untrue,” maintaining that some of the properties belonged to his late father, who had about 30 children.
“Some of those properties belonged to my late father. I was shocked when NDLEA linked them to me. The documents are with the Borno State Ministry of Land,” Kyari told the court.
The embattled former Intelligence Response Team (IRT) boss also denied owning a polo ground in Borno State, calling such an accusation “beyond imagination.”
“Even Dangote, who is the richest man in Nigeria, does not own such a property, how much more someone like me,” Kyari said, sparking murmurs in the courtroom.
He further clarified that the Borno polo ground had existed long before his birth, adding that he only visited the area as a child.
“That polo ground has been there since I was little. We used to go there to play,” he said.
Kyari’s legal team accused the NDLEA of building its case on assumptions rather than verifiable evidence. While rejecting ownership of the listed assets, the suspended officer admitted to owning only one farmland along the Abuja–Kaduna road, which he said was developed through legitimate means.
“I’ve managed that farmland for about ten years now. It’s my only property,” he stated.
Kyari, once hailed as Nigeria’s top anti-kidnapping officer, was suspended in 2022 after being linked to a drug trafficking case involving international cartels. The NDLEA has accused him of concealing assets and laundering drug-related proceeds, charges he has since denied.
The case has been adjourned to a later date for continuation of hearing.
