The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba has suspended DCP Abba Kyari, the Head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
Kyari has been accused of receiving bribe from Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas a.k.a Hushpuppi to arrest and jail a member of his online fraud gang identified as Chibuzo Vincent following a dispute that arose from a $1.1m fraudulent operation the carried out.
Kyari was also accused of allegedly sending Abbas bank account details to deposit payment for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment.
A statement by Force spokesman, Frank Mba, said Kyari will remain out of service of the Nigeria Police Force pending the outcome of investigations.
The IGP, in his letter to the Police Service Commission, dated 31st July, 2021, noted that the suspension is in line with the internal disciplinary processes.
The suspension will help the panel to carry out its investigations into the weighty allegations against DCP Abba Kyari without interference.
The Special Investigation Panel (SIP) is headed by DIG Joseph Egbunike, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID).
The SIP will undertake a detailed review of all the allegations against Kyari by the United States Government as contained in relevant documents that have been availed the NPF by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The SIP will obtain detailed representation of Kyari to all the allegations levelled against him and submit recommendations to guide further actions by the Force leadership on the matter.
The IGP 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 Kyari’s rights and privileges.
Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission says it could dismiss Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, if found guilty in the $1.1million Hushpuppi internet fraud.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner in charge of Media on the board of the Police Service Commission, Austin Braimoh, in an interview with Punch, said the PSC would not be bound by the IG’s review of the allegations against Kyari.
“The commission won’t say anything until we get the official report. We are the final decision-maker on his fate as a police officer. Everything concerning his indictment can be investigated and the criminal aspect of it can be sent to the law court but on the official aspect concerning discipline; no other body has power to do anything to him as a police officer, it is only the commission that has such powers.
”So, the commission is awaiting the full report of investigation and his indictment and we will treat it officially; we would apply the law. The law will determine the various punishments that we can award against him. He can be dismissed depending on the gravity of the offence; we can demote him, reduce his rank; we can suspend him.
”Many things are laid out before us pertaining to various offences and after that, the criminal aspect would be referred to the court for prosecution. It depends on how the report is coming; whether it is coming to us directly for us to extricate the criminal aspect and treat it or they want to treat it and refer the official one to us to discipline him,” Braimoh said.
