Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Alkali Baba, has commended the immediate suspension of Abba Kyari, leader of the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
Mr Kyari, a celebrated crime buster, is a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). He was allegedly indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States of America (USA) in a wire fraud involving an Instagram star, Mr Abbas Olorunwa Hushpuppi, and others.
In court documents from the US released last week, Hushpuppi alleged that he bribed the Nigerian cop to detain a fellow fraudster, Mr Vincent Chibuzor, when they had disagreements over a fraud worth $1.1 million.
Messages between Hushpuppi and Mr Kyari showed that the latter carried out the bidding of the former.
But Mr Kyari, while reacting to the allegation in a Facebook post, claimed he was not involved in any fraud and said he only responded to a distress call from Hushpuppi, which he later found out to be false.
After pressure from different quarters, the IGP ordered a probe into the matter last Thursday, assuring members of the public of “its commitment to the pursuit of justice and the strengthening of its professional relationship with the FBI and other international partners.”
On Saturday, the nation’s police chief in a letter to the Police Service Commission (PSC), recommended the immediate suspension of Mr Kyari to allow proper investigation into the issue.
In a statement from the police with Ref No. CZ.5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.4/26, it was disclosed that, “The IGP further noted that the suspension is also expected to create an enabling environment for the NPF Special Investigation Panel to carry out its investigations into the weighty allegations against DCP Abba Kyari without interference. The suspension is without prejudice to the constitutional presumption of innocence in favour of the officer.
“The Special Investigation Panel (SIP), comprising four Senior Police Officers, is headed by DIG Joseph Egbunike, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID).
“The SIP, inter alia, is to undertake a detailed review of all the allegations against DCP Abba Kyari by the US Government as contained in relevant documents that have been availed the NPF by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“The SIP is also to obtain a detailed representation of DCP Abba Kyari to all the allegations levelled against him, conduct further investigations as it deems fit, and submit recommendations to guide further actions by the Force leadership on the matter.
“Meanwhile, the IGP has reaffirmed the commitment of the Force to the Rule of Law and assured the public of the sanctity of the probe as well as the absolute respect for the rights and privileges of the officer throughout the period of the investigations.”
