Dalung Demands Presidential Pardon for Abba Kyari

Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.

Dalung made the appeal on Monday in a statement where he urged the Federal Government to show mercy to Kyari, who has been in detention over alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

According to him, Kyari’s continued incarceration despite his years of dedicated service to the country represents injustice and selective punishment.

He noted that the embattled officer, who once headed the Police Intelligence Response Team, risked his life on numerous occasions to bring high-profile criminals to justice.

Dalung said the government should consider Kyari’s patriotic contributions and grant him a presidential pardon as an act of national reconciliation and fairness.

He stressed that those who had benefitted from clemency in the past committed more grievous offenses, yet were forgiven in the spirit of unity.

Abba Kyari was suspended in 2021 after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) accused him and some members of his team of conspiring to tamper with and traffic 21.35 kilograms of cocaine. He has since remained in custody while facing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The former minister’s demand has sparked mixed reactions across the country, with some Nigerians supporting his call for clemency, while others insist that justice must take its course to uphold the integrity of the justice system.