Police Arrest Suspended DCP Abba Kyari, 4 Others

Pat Stevens/

The suspended Head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), DCP Abba Kyari, has been arrested by the police.

NewsmakersNG gathered that he was arrested alongside four others today.

Kyari was arrested hours after National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) declared him wanted over alleged drug links.

The suspended DCP is also under investigation after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicted him in the case of fraud involving Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, had at a press briefing in Abuja today, chronicled how Kyari belonged to a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline.

The anti-drug agency said Kyari contacted one of its officers in Abuja and struck a deal to secure the release of a total of 25kg seized cocaine.

Babafemi said, “After the Agency gave the officer the green light to play along, he and Kyari began a WhatsApp call for the rest of the day. The officer conveyed “their” willingness to play the game.”

“He (Kyari) brought with him the money from the sale of the 5kg share of the NDLEA team, a total of $61, 400. Our officer, however, preferred to take the money inside his car. Well, the car was wired with sound and video recorders. And the moment was documented, part of which I will play for you at the end of this briefing.

“We have a trove of intelligence, hard facts, from chats to photos and video and a detailed transcript of the communication between him and the NDLEA officer,” NDLEA spokesperson said.

A report by the FBI had indicted Kyari in the case of fraud involving Hushpuppi.

The report was investigated by a special panel set up by the IGP Usman Alkali, who also forwarded it to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for legal advice.

On Friday, the Police Service Commission gave the police two weeks to conclude investigation into the case involving Kyari.

According to a statement signed by the Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, the commission also directed that the investigation should be carried out by a different panel.

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