Abba Kyari=2023 –beyond the shame

By OBINNA EZUGWU

From being celebrated as a super cop, to now being derided as a super criminal, life, for 46-year-old Abba Kyari, the disgraced and suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police who led the once powerful Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), has come full circle.

But in a country where law enforcement is steeped in fast practices, it is unlikely that it is just Kyari’s past that has finally caught up with him. Feelers suggest that the decision to finally bring him down, after previous attempts to shield him from facing the law, is not unconnected with his alleged ambition to seek high political office in Borno, his home state in 2023.

On Wednesday, Kyari was finally arrested by the police and handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) which had on Monday, declared him wanted over his alleged involvement in massive cocaine trafficking. He risks spending his entire life in jail, if found guilty of allegations against him, even as authorities in the United States await his extradition over his alleged involvement with a cyber crime syndicate led by international fraudster, Ramon Abbas, alias Hushpuppi.

It’s an inglorious end to a law enforcement career that started in year 2000 when Kyari was admitted into Police Academy Wudil, Kano State, subsequently graduating as cadet Assistance Superintendent of Police (ASP). He was, upon graduation, posted to Adamawa State Police Command for his one-year mandatory attachment in Song Police Division before being deployed as Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) in Numan, Adamawa State, where he served as Unit Commander 14 PMF Yola.

But it was in the Lagos State Police Command where he was later posted as 2 IC and eventually as Officer-In-Charge of the now disbanded notorious police unit, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), that Kyari made his name as a no nonsense cop, during which time he also built a reputation for philanthropy among the Northern community, many of whom he gave tricycles and mini buses for commercial purposes.

But SARS was a beastly police unit whose unrestrained brutality against mostly young Nigerians sparked nationwide protests around October 2020, the EndSARS protest, that lasted until October 20, when a detatchment of soldiers opened fire on protesters at Lekki tollgate, Lagos, and Kyari was one of the unit’s most recognized faces.

SARS officers thrived on brutality and extortion, and from many accounts, Kyari was drenched in the menace. But he somehow managed to maintain a very positive public image as a crime buster, and the complaints against him by victims of his high handedness were simply brushed off, so much so that he was subsequently named leader of the elite IRT, even as promotion came thick and fast.

Helped by his good posturing in the media, Kyari built a reputation for being the ideal law officer, and with incredible record of crime bursting to boot, he was bathed with honours celebrating his effectiveness and gallantry. His big break notably came in June 2017, when his IRT apprehended Chukwudi Onuamadike, popularly known as Evans, a notorious, albeit wily kidnapper, who had evaded arrest for four years even though he was on a most wanted list in three states, including Lagos, Edo State, and his home state of Anambra.

The arrest and trial of Evans became hot current affairs topic, given elaborate coverage in the media throughout the protracted and sometimes sensationalised court trial, and Kyari revelled in the publicity it brought, becoming one of the most sought after personalities for honours. In 2018, he was recognised as ‘hero of the year’ by Silverbird Communications at an event, which was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

During the award ceremony, he received glowing tribute from former Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, who praised him for his efforts in “ensuring we are able to have a good night sleep” even as he thanked the organisers for recognising “those who are working and not those who are destroying the country.”

Obi had said during the award ceremony, “It’s worth celebrating anybody that contributes to ensuring we are able to have a good night sleep. Considering what he’s been able to achieve, I thank Silverbird for recognising him. That’s what we need in this country, to celebrate those who are working. It’s time to stop celebrating those who are destroying the country.”

Still in 2018, Kyari was presented an award plaque inscribed, “in appreciation and recognition of his gallantry and diligent role in curbing crime in Nigeria,” at the Aso Rock Villa by First Lady of the Republic, Aisha Buhari.

Yet, the big one came in June 2020, when Kyari stood on the floor of the Federal House of Representatives and was given standing ovation for his “hard work and outstanding performance over the years in the NPF.”

House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, had noted on the occasion that that the honour bestowed on Kyari was not only from the lawmakers but the people of Nigeria.

“It is not what they do all the time and for everybody but for those who have distinguished themselves in various fields of service,” he had said. “This is also to show Nigerians that despite the not too good image of the Nigerian police, there are very good officers in the force.

“This is the greatest honour because this is the only institution where all Nigerians are represented. This is not an award from the house of reps alone but an award from the entire people of Nigeria.”

Indeed so unassailable was his reputation in crime fighting that when, during the hearing of Lagos State panel of inquiry on police brutality – the panel which was setup in the aftermath of the EndSARS protest – a Lagos based businessman, Afeez Mojeed, accused him of extorting over N41 million from him, few people paid attention, even as compelling as Mojeed’s case was.

Mojeed had detailed in a document presented to the Lagos panel, how Kyari carried out the extortion in 2014 when he was the officer in charge of SARS in Lagos.

The businessman had initially, in a series of petitions between 2016 and 2018, sought justice through the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), but to no avail, Kyari perhaps thought to be beyond reproach or being too entrenched in the system to suffer the indignity of trial.

DCP Kyari continued to loom large as a top dog in the intricate nexus between law enforcement and cyber crime in the country, despite several complaints by victims; it’s a world where security agencies feed fat on fraudsters whom they extort millions from, while pretending to fight the menace.

Kyari, by many accounts, made a fortune, and was all too eager to display his wealth on social media, along with his younger brother whose Instagram account competed with those of top socialites in terms of display of flashy cars, designer clothes, esoteric mansions and so on.

In one case of ostentatiousness, Kyari was said to have offered a neighbour who had a house beside his mansion in Maiduguri N70 million, to leave so he could have straight access to the main road from this mansion.

But his unrestrained display of wealth, way beyond what his paycheck as a Deputy Commissioner of Police could remotely support, soon began to trigger suspicion.

Mr. Mojeed, would once again, in 2020, following the setting up of the panel in police brutality, file fresh petition on October 22, through his Salawu Akingbolu & Co, and addressed to the then newly formed judicial panel of inquiry and restitution for victims of SARS-related abuses in Lagos, in which he accused Kyari and his officers of forcefully taking about 32 items from his house during a raid in 2014.

Mojeed, in the petition, said his ordeal began on the night of October 18, 2014, when four gun-wielding policemen from SARS broke into his house while he was home with his pregnant wife, 18 month-old son and mother in-law, and he had thought it was an armed robbery attack.

“They forcefully took his wedding ring and that of his wife from them, opened their wardrobe and took the sum N280,000 and the sum of N50,000 was also taken from his car, after which the Honda Accord (2008) model was seized and taken away till today,” the petition read.

After ransacking the house, Mojeed was said to have been taken to the SARS office in Ikeja where he was detained for 14 days – from October 18 to October 31, 2014, and later arraigned on a “trump-up charge” of stealing N97 million and for over one year, the matter was in court, the police “never showed up or brought any witness.”

After several adjournments, the court reportedly struck out the charge against him, the petition detailed. But while he remained in detention, “the police under the supervision and threat of Abba Kyari (OC SARS) forced him to sign three Zenith Bank cheques in the sum of N150,000 each making N450,000 in total on October 22 – 23, 2014 and gave the sum to one Alabi Olawale Nurudeen who is also one of their cronies to withdraw.”

The police also allegedly obtained password to his bank card with which they withdrew another N395,000 from his account between October 20 to 23, 2014.

The petition also detailed how Mojeed, allegedly on Kyari’s orders, was taken by “one Inspector Fola, Corporal Bolu and Corporal Akeem to Diamond Bank Ajah branch on October 23 and 24, 2014 to forcefully transfer the sum of N41 Million and N800,000 respectively from his corporate account M. Mateen Concepts into the account of one Obinna Edward, whom our client had never seen or heard of before, after which they shared the money.

“All these acts perpetrated on our client were exhibited with serious injuries inflicted on him due to a series of slaps and beatings for them to get access to his ATM password, signature on cheques and also transfer from his account.”

Mojeed’s counsel had confronted Kyari in his then office in Ikeja on why he would seize his money and properties without a court order, but Kyari reportedly said he had kept the money as an exhibit.

“But till date, they have not released any of the items to him including his car which we got information had been taken away by Abba Kyari,” the petition read.

“He also went further that there was another N15 million in another account, that the counsel should cooperate with him to take it the way they took N41 million and a sum of N5 million would be given to him while they would take N10 million.”

Mojeed’s account caused consternation on social media, but not enough to lead to any serious investigation into Kyari’s dealings. That was to change less than a year later on Wednesday July 28, 2021 when a United States Court ordered his arrest over his alleged links with fraudster, Hushpupi.

In a 69-page document, the U.S. court showed that he had been under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his alleged link to Hushpuppi, who had pleaded guilty to fraud.

In the case marked 2:21-cr-00203, USA VS Abba Alhaji Kyari dated April 29, 2021, the FBI asked a U.S District Court in California to order the arrest of Kyari for 10 days.

The U.S Department of Justice in a statement said Hushpuppi admitted during interrogation that he paid bribes to Kyari, to have one of his rivals arrested and jailed in Nigeria following a dispute over a $1.1m fraud involving a Qatari businessperson.

According to Abbas, he asked Kyari to arrest and jail a fellow fraudster Kelly Chibuzor Vincent, after both were locked in a dispute presumably over how to share the $1.1 million loot received from the Qatari businessperson. Mr. Vincent subsequently contacted the victim and informed him that he was being scammed by a syndicate involving him and Hushpuppi.

This elicited anger from Hushpuppi who contacted Mr. Kyari to arrest and jail his rival over the dispute. Mr Abbas said Mr. Kyari sent pictures of Mr. Vincent in jail and subsequently sent his bank account number to Abbas to which a wire transfer should be made having done a good job as sent by Mr Abbas.

Otis Wright of the United States District Court for the Central District of California had ordered the FBI to track down Kyari and produce him in the U.S for his role in a multi-million dollar fraud perpetrated by Hushpuppi.

Kyari was subsequently suspended by the Inspector General of Police, who also ordered an investigation into the allegations against him. But while the controversy raged, Kyari took to social media to laugh it off, claiming that he had only supplied Hushpuppi clothes and got paid for it.

But as the heat got more intense, he deleted his social media posts and kept low profile, while investigation of his involvement with Hushpuppi took eternity to be concluded, what dovetailed into series of back and forth between the Police Service Commission and the Police Force. Meanwhile Kyari allegedly continued to operate from the background.

However, things rapidly changed on Monday last week when NDLEA declared him wanted over links with an international drug cartel.

“Even the most cynical of Nigerians now agree that the country is really in a drug quagmire and therefore appreciates the relentless efforts of NDLEA operatives,” Femi Babafemi, the agency’s spokesperson had said during a press briefing held at the agency’s headquarters on Monday.

“Unfortunately, some law enforcement agents who should be partners in the pursuit of the President’s mandate are at the forefront of breaking the law, as they aid and abet drug trafficking in the country.

“Today, we are forced to declare one of such law enforcement agents wanted in the person of suspended DCP Abba Kyari, the erstwhile Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force.

“With the intelligence at our disposal, the Agency believes strongly that DCP Kyari is a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline, and he needs to answer questions that cropped up in an ongoing drug case in which he is the principal actor. His failure to cooperate forced the hand of the Agency and that is the reason for this press briefing.”

The NDLEA would subsequently release a video showing Kyari handing over $61,400 in cash to compromise police officers in the drug deal after negotiations.

Among other offences, the NDLEA accused him and four others of being involved in a 25 kilograms Cocaine deal. The agency claimed that Kyari and his team wanted to take 15kg of the cocaine and leave 10kg for the prosecution of the suspects. The purloined cocaine will be replaced with a dummy worth 15kg.

His accomplices include Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agrigba and John Nuhu. Another officer, ASP John Umoru, is said to be at large.

According to NDLEA, Kyari took 15kg out and shared it between the informants. He gave the informant 7kg while his team took 8kg which was sold. He also sold a 5kg share of the NDLEA team for $61, 400.

Kyari was accused of attempting to compromise an NDLEA officer in January by asking him to conceal part of the cocaine haul that was seized from some suspects.

Later on Monday, police arrested him and handed him over to the anti drug agency where he is currently cooling off his heels, even as more revelations of his alleged underhand deals are emerging, with extradition to the U.S looming.

When it rains it pours, a fresh police investigation on Wednesday, detailed how members of a scam syndicate led by Hushpuppi paid N235, 120, 000 to Kyari’s younger brother’s account.

The probe also indicated that Kyari funnelled N44m to his brother’s bank account in multiple transactions.

The investigation report which was submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation disclosed that a total of N279.120m flowed to the younger Kyari’s bank account at various times from the cyber scam syndicate members – Efe Martins (lead coordinator), Sikiru Adekoya, Usman Ibrahim, and Hussaini Ala.

It stated, “Sikiru Adekoya has many times received money from Hushpuppi and Efe and has equally transferred money to Usman Ibrahim. Adekoya after initial denial of having any financial transaction with both Hushpuppi and Efe Martins eventually admitted receiving various sums of money through transfers into his GTBank.

‘’However, he could not offer reasonable explanations of what the sums were meant for and what he did with the monies. The network of Hushpuppi Internet fraud syndicate consists of Efe Martins as the lead coordinator who through his company, Efe Martins Integrated Concept Ltd., has at various times transferred different sums of money to Sikiru Adekoya, Usman Waziri Ibrahim, Hussaini Ala.

“A junior brother to DCP Kyari is a major beneficiary of funds from the Zenith Bank account of Hussaini Ala from where he at different times received various sums totaling N218, 120, 000. He also received the sum of N44m in multiple transactions from DCP Abba Kyari.’’

In its recommendations, the Force Disciplinary Committee which reviewed the SIP investigation report indicted Kyari for violating the social media policy of the Nigeria Police Force by responding to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s indictment on his Facebook page without recourse to laid down procedures.

Curiously, the Special Investigation Panel which authored the report did not invite or interrogate Kyari’s brother about the huge sums of money deposited into his bank account by the fraud syndicate and the DCP.

For hobnobbing with fraudulent characters and violating the police professional ethics, the committee awarded Kyari the punishment of reduction in rank from DCP to ACP, stating that “the evidence of (N8m) bribe is circumstantial in that the bribe mainly was not paid into the officer’s account nor was any proceeds of the bribe traced by the panel much less linking the officer to any such proceeds.’’

The FDC further said there was no evidence of direct fund transfer from either Hushpuppi or Efe into any of Kyari’s accounts “but there were records of various funds transfers totaling N17m which originated from Efe Martins into the accounts of Usman Waziri, Hussaini Ala and brother to DCP Kyari.”

Meanwhile, the force has said it had intensified investigations into Kyari’s links to criminal gangs and alleged involvement in money laundering as directed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Malami had in his legal advice to the police leadership said a prima facie case of money laundering had been established against the former IRT commander.

The advice read in part, “That there exists a prima facie case of conspiracy, collaboration, receipt, conversion, transfer and/or retention of proceeds of unlawful activities contrary to the provision of Section 15, 17 & 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and Section 17 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Est) Act, Cap EI Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 against DCP Abba Kyari and other suspects in view of the overwhelming evidence showing the nature of his disguised financial transactions and activities with Abbas Hushpuppi, Efe Martins, Usman Ibrahim Waztiri, Sikiru Adekoya, Hussaini Ala and Sharon Festus who are all confirmed members of international internet fraud network.

“Although the facts and circumstances of this case as contained in the case file are suggestive to money laundering offences against DCP Abba Kyari and his accomplices namely: Abbas Hushpuppi, Efe Martins, Usman Ibrahim Waziri, Sikiru Adekoya, Hussaini Ala and Sharon Festus; in order to successfully prosecute them, there is a need for a more thorough dissecting and tracing of the suspected 33 proceeds of crime received by DCP Abba Kyari directly or indirectly through the said accomplices.”

The AGF also ordered the police to trace the movement of money, withdrawals from the various accounts linked to Kyari and his suspected accomplices as well as the use of the funds in purchasing physical assets and properties in order to clearly expose ‘’the disguised nature of the suspected proceeds of crime.’’

Still at the weekend, NDLEA disclosed that Kyari team had been linked to the alleged seizure of a large consignment of Tramadol in a warehouse worth N3billionat Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos, which was not disclosed to the agency the possible intention to sell the consignment off.

Kyari’s IRT allegedly got wind of the consignment and stormed the warehouse where the illegal drug was stocked, leading to the seizure, but instead of reporting the seizure to the NDLEA, the team held the consignment.