The police report on the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, which was submitted to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, (SAN), concluded that the conduct of the police officer violated the law and code of conduct for law enforcement officers.
The report maintained the embattled officer violated the law and the code of law enforcement officers in his dealings with internet fraudster, Ramon Olarewaju aka Hushpuppi, adding that a total of N279.120m flowed into Kyari’s younger brother’s bank account at various times.
Also, more details have emerged on how Kyari earned the undying loyalty of operatives of the elite group, the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), a relationship he was said to have built way back.
But the Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen Buba Marwa (retd), has said the arrest of Kyari, was a clear message that no one would be spared in the agency’s ongoing war against illicit drug business.
However, the police report frowned at Kyari’s conduct in “hobnobbing with suspected fraudsters and people of questionable means in his capacity as a senior police officer and the head of the IRT.
“He had also violated the provisions of the Social Media policy (SMP) for the Nigeria Police Force by responding to the FBI’s indictment on his Facebook page without recourse to laid down procedure and also by his admission of broadcasting pictures and video clips to his contacts on social media.
“Similarly, he violated the Nigeria Police Code of Professional Ethics by accepting complaints on such without recourse to established protocols. His claim that he forwarded an investigation report to the office of the Inspector-General of Police was established to be untrue.
“The officer again violated the Code of Professional Ethics and the Nigeria Police Act 2020 by detaining Vincent Kelly Chibuzor for over a month in the cell without valid court order, without due regards to his fundamental human rights”.
The report further observed that all the four witnesses brought by Kyari, namely, Usman Ibrahim Wazin Sikiry Adekoya, Hussaini Ala and Sharon Festus, were all accomplices and formed part of the internet fraud.
The report cited the advice of the AGF, which stated that a prima facie case was established against him.
“That there exists 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) Ac Cap Ef 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 Hushpuppl, Efe Martins, Usman Ibrahim Weazirl, Sikiru Adekoya, Hussaini Ala and Sharon Festus who are all confirmed members of international internet fraud network.
“However, the Honourable Attorney-General’s advice is inconclusive as to whether based on the above quoted paragraph the officer can be proceeded against by way of or administrative sanctions. This is in view of the further stated advice of the AG that;
“Although the facts and circumstances of this case as contained in the case file are suggestive to money laundering offences against DCP Abba Kyarl and his accomplices namely: Abbas Hushpuppi, Efe Martins, Usman Ibrahim Wazirl, 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 proceeds of crime received by DCP Abba Kyari, directly or indirectly through the said accomplices.”
The report revealed how members of a syndicate led by international scammer, Ramon Abass, popularly known as Hushpuppi paid N235, 120, 000 to a younger brother to Kyari, adding that the suspended police officer equally 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 into Kyari’s younger brother’s bank account at various times from the cyber scam syndicate members, notably, Efe Martins, Sikiru Adekoya, Usman Ibrahim, and Hussaini Ala.
“Sikiru Adekoya has at 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,” the report stated.
How Kyari Earned Loyalty of His Boys
However, despite his suspension, Kyari still had his hold on the operatives and called the shots under the table through his deputy, ACP Sunday Ubua, who was also seconded to Disu.
The IRT, an elite unit set up by then Inspector General of Police, was to tackle high profile crimes like kidnapping and even terrorism.
Headed then by Kyari, the team soon made its mark as a squad that was out to tackle crime given the constant arrests and the category of cases they busted.
But Kyari did not come upon such a team by happenstance; he had groomed them from Lagos, when he was the commander in charge-of-the-state (Special Anti Robbery Squad SARS), although now disbanded.
While at SARS, the team forged stronger through cracking cases but were at different times accused of extra judicial killings and other allegations of fraud and obtaining money from families of suspects to release them.
The case that brought him to national limelight was that of Evans Onwuamadike, the ‘Billionaire kidnapper’, who was arrested by Kyari and his team.
Although the ground work that led to his arrest was done by DCP Tunji Disu, who was at that time the Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) with support from then Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, Kyari and men took the glory and promotions that came with it.
But the high profile arrest was tainted by how Kyari’s men allegedly re-looted the loot Evans obtained from his victims, forcefully.
During the raid, the operatives were alleged to have packed both local and foreign currencies, exotic phones, designer wristwatches, jewelry, television and even glass cups.
In a petition by Evans through his lawyers, he accused Kyari and men of forcibly taking N50 million from him and N5million from his wife under the pretext that he would be released on bail.
Evans also deposed in the affidavit that he was dispossessed of $10,000 by the same police officers.
For each operation, the bond between Kyari and men forged stronger as they weathered one allegation after the other.
It was part of measures by the police hierarchy to cut the seeming excesses of the group that IRT alongside the STS, was integrated into the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) headed by Ibrahim Lamorde.
In spite of that move, the team was still dogged with countless petitions and allegations of human rights abuse and corruption. Yet, there was seemingly nothing much the authorities could do because of the godfathers said to be behind Kyari.
But following his suspension by the PSC on the recommendation of the present IGP, Baba, over the Hushpuppi case, it seemed he was finally caged.
Unbeknownst to the police hierarchy, he was still calling the shots at the IRT despite the capable hands of DCP Tunji Disu, who was detailed by the IG to take over the unit.
THISDAY checks revealed that Kyari was still carrying out discreet illegal operations through his then deputy, who was as well seconded to Disu, when he assumed office.
A senior officer, who spoke on anonymity to THISDAY from the force headquarters said when Ubua was questioned by the IG, he said he was forced to obey orders from Kyari, because the suspended DCP assured him he would soon be reinstated by the force.
But when the NDLEA authorities briefed the IG on the case against Kyari and his men, they were all invited for questioning and Disu said he handed over to his deputy, because he had an operation to carry out in Sokoto.
This much was confirmed by the deputy, who said he carried out the operation without informing the head of the unit on the request of Kyari.
The source said: “The force is at a terrible spot at the moment. How did DCP Kyari think for a moment that he would be reinstated after the FBI fiasco? Who was giving him such assurance? It was a stunned IG, who heard that he kept assuring his boys that DCP Disu would be removed and he would be reinstated.
“That, however, does not exonerate ACP Ubua, who should know better than to place loyalty to man over the police force he pledged to serve. The only good thing that came out from this was that the IG finally signed the appeal by DCP Disu to allow him raise his own team and not use those inherited from his predecessor.”
THISDAY carried out subsequent checks on what gave Kyari such hopes that he would be cleared as usual and reinstated despite the damning allegations by FBI.
Another source in the know said Kyari was parroting that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was behind his woes.
His words: “When the Hushpuppi incident happened, he reassured us that it would soon fizzle out and he would be reinstated. According to him, his woes were orchestrated by IPOB given that he had arrested some of them in different operations.
“He told us that the FBI lawyer had Igbo affiliations and was probably sympathetic to the Biafra cause. So, we shouldn’t worry, because his godfathers were on top of the case to get him reinstated.”
But contrary to allegations that the police authorities had scrapped IRT and STS, the IG has set plans in motion to sanitise the units by posting fresh officers that would be ready to take instructions from their commander.
Marwa: Kyari’s Arrest, Clear Message NDLEA is Committed
The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen Buba Marwa (retd), has said the arrest of Kyari, was a clear message that no one would be spared in the agency’s ongoing war against illicit drug business.
Marwa said this on Wednesday in an address in Abuja during a training on the Sensitization on Drugs and Drug Prevention, Treatment and Care (DPTC) organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for NLDEA personnel and selected journalists.
He said the system could not allow those given the responsibility to fight crime, which included the matter of drugs, to themselves be proponents of it.
The anti-narcotics czar said the fight against drug abuse was serious business and the agency was committed to pursuing a drug-free nation.
He said: “The media has a very important role to play in our society. The business of getting information out needs to be accurate and professionally done especially, in the business of drug control, drug abuse, trafficking, there are technicalities that you need to get sufficient knowledge of the terrain so that when you get the word out, it is gotten out accurately,because you mould the opinions of millions. It is for this reason that I urge the journalists to please take this training seriously and take full advantage of it.
“While we are at it, there is an ongoing play, which we are witnessing and I have followed the role of the media even in it. It is a serious business that is ongoing. We all are responsible. We want a drug-free nation. We may not get to zero level, but definitely there is a certain minimum acceptability standard that we are all pursuing. And those given the responsibility to fight crime, which includes the matter of drugs cannot themselves be proponents of it. This message I believe we have sent abundantly clear.”
Responding, Country Representative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Oliver Stolpe, said more is still required to be done in the fight against drug abuse.
He said, “I think there is still more to be done, because I still believe that most Nigerians perceive drug use as more of a failure of some sorts, of basically those people that are using drugs.
“It has not yet been fully appreciated that drug use is a health condition first and foremost and it is a health condition that affects this nation much more severely than I think there is a true awareness of.”
IG Wants CJN to Enable Law Dept in Police Academy
In a related development, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, yesterday, sought the collaboration of the Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN) to enable the accreditation of the law department of the Police Academy, Kano, to participate in the law school programme.
The IG made the call, when members of the force management team paid a courtesy visit to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, in his office at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja.
A statement by Force Headquarters said the visit was aimed at solidifying the synergy between the police and the judiciary as key players in the criminal justice system of the nation with a view to ensuring a smooth and efficient dispensation of justice.
“The IG equally sought the collaboration of the CJN in accrediting the legal department of the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State to enable its graduates proceed for further studies at the Nigerian Law School.
“The IGP emphasised that this will ensure the police have more lawyers within its pool to strengthen its prosecutorial duties and hopefully produce more Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) in the future”, it said.
The CJN appreciated the visit which was the first of its kind ever by a sitting IG and commended Baba for his thoughtfulness, while expressing readiness to continually partner the Nigeria Police Force for seamless justice administration.
