Abba Kyari, the deputy commissioner of police who is currently on suspension, appealed, but the court of appeal in Abuja rejected it.
A Federal High Court in Abuja earlier denied his request for release, and the appeal sought to overturn that decision.
Judge Stephen Adah, who read the unanimous decision of a three-person panel, maintained that Kyari’s appeal was without merit and that such requests for bail needed to be handled carefully given the nature of the accusations pending against Kyari and others before the trial court.
He held that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who earlier rejected bail to Kyari, appropriately exercised his discretion in refusing to grant Kyari’s bail.
Kyari, who is a former head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force is facing prosecution by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
He and four members of the IRT – ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu were charged before a Federal High Court in Abuja with conspiracy to deal in 17.55kg of cocaine.
They were also charged with dealing in cocaine without lawful authority; conspiracy to tamper with cocaine and unlawfully tampering with the 21.35kg of cocaine seized from two convicted drug dealers.
