‘Super Cop’ Abba Kyari Suspended Over Hushpuppi Fraud

Abba Kyari has been suspended.

Newsone reports that a celebrated Nigerian cop, linked to a $1.1million bribery case, Abba Kyari, has been suspended.

This online news platform understands that Abba Kyari’s suspension was recommended by Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, pending the outcome of an ongoing internal investigation, a statement by the police spokesperson, Frank Mba, said on Sunday morning, August 1.

Newsone reports that the statement said the IGP in his letter to the Police Service Commission, dated July 31, 2021, noted that the recommendation for the suspension of the officer was in line with the internal disciplinary processes of the Force.

Before his suspension, Abba Kyari was indicted by the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over an alleged involvement in how a Qatari businessperson was duped of over $1.1 million by Ramonu Abbas popularly known as Hushpuppi who is currently being held in the US.

Newsone reports that Hushpuppi had brought Kyari into the fraud scheme to arrest his gang member-turned-rival, Kelly Chibuzo who was displeased by his cut from the fraud proceeds, according to a months-long investigation by Andrew Innocenti, an FBI special agent.

Abba Kyari’s involvement, according to Innocenti, was “to ensure CHIBUZO’s continued arrest, thereby preventing CHIBUZO from notifying the Victim Businessperson of ABBAS’ and JUMA’s fraudulent scheme and preventing CHIBUZO from hijacking the scheme for his own benefit.”

“The decorated Nigerian cop was also said to have told ABBAS that he would not allow CHIBUZO’s girlfriend to pay money to get CHIBUZO out of custody as he would have done for a ‘normal arrest’.”

But the celebrated “super cop” has since denied any involvement in the said case.

A United States court sitting in California had, on July 26, ordered the FBI to arrest the Nigerian cop.

The Nigerian Police Service Commission, the agency in-charge of disciplinary actions, said the FBI has no power to make arrests in Nigeria without the commission’s findings and approval. The FBI has since been in touch with the Nigerian Police.

Meanwhile, Newsone reports that Abba Kyari was the Head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) until his suspension.