Buhari to make final decision on sending Abba Kyari to face fraud charges in US
Post created on September 15, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari will take the final decision on the possible extradition of disgraced police officer, Abba Kyari, to face fraud charges in the United States.
The office of the AGF has already received a report of the investigation of allegations against Kyari.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police was in July implicated in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain and launder money in partnership with international fraudster, Ramon Abbas, aka Ray Hushpuppi.
The indictment led to Kyari’s suspension and an internal investigation was launched, with a report recently submitted to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba.
When quizzed on the status of the investigation, the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, said in a televised interview on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 that it is still ongoing.
The minister said the report and recommendations have already been submitted to the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami.
He said the international connotations of the scandal make it important to do consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice before a final decision is taken.
“Thereafter, we’ll take it to Mr President for final consideration,” he said.
Dingyadi assured Nigerians that authorities will take the correct position on the matter and appealed for patience from the public.
Kyari has already been replaced as the Head of the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) by DCP Tunji Disu.
The link between the two was made public following the unsealing of an indictment involving them and four others who scammed a Qatari businessperson of $1.1 million.
Court documents alleged that Hushpuppi arranged for Kyari to have his co-conspirator, Kelly Chibuzo Vincent, arrested following a disagreement over sharing of proceeds of the scam.
According to the affidavit, Kyari carried out the request and sent Hushpuppi photographs of a detained Vincent, as well as account details to receive his monetary reward.
“Please sir I want to spend money to send this boy to jail, let him go for a very long time,” he texted Kyari after Vincent was arrested on January 20.
“Let me know how I can send money to the team sir. Let them deal with him like armed robber,” he said in another text message.
Kyari alerted Hushpuppi a month later that Vincent had fallen ill in custody, suffering from fever and rashes he got from cellmates.
Hushpuppi later told the officer to release the detainee on February 25, but without his electronic devices, a request Kyari accepted.
Hushpuppi in May 2020 sent the police officer receipts for two bank transactions totalling $20,600 (over N8 million) sent to a Nigerian bank account, payments speculated to have been a bribe paid to his team.
The FBI said Kyari’s knowing involvement in the scheme allowed Hushpuppi and others to continue defrauding the victim undetected.
The 46-year-old has in the past faced serious allegations of misconduct, but faced no serious investigations.
Other co-conspirators indicted are Abdulrahman Juma, Rukayat Motunrayo Fashola, and Bolatito Tawakalitu Agbabiaka.
[PulseNG]
