Mike Odeh James
As disgraced cop Abba Kyari faces police investigation and possible extradition to answer for wire fraud in the U.S., Peoples Gazette chronicles some of the past complaints against him.
Under-investigation Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, had overtime wore the toga of Nigeria’s super cop for his celebrated crime-busting heroics despite repeated allegations of abuse of office, rights violation and high-level extortion.
Mr Kyari, who heads the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team, rose to fame after he claimed credit for the apprehension of Taraba notorious kidnap kingpin Hamisu Wadume, in 2019.
Before his indictment in the Hushpuppi scandal, Mr Kyari had repeatedly claimed victory in the arrest of top criminals, including notorious kidnapper Chukwudi ‘Evans’ Onuamadike.
Chukwudi ‘Evans’ Onuamadike
Despite the celebrated successes, the police chief failed to stay away from habitual atrocities fondly committed by officers of the Nigeria Police Force, as he was severally accused of extrajudicial killings and high level extortion.
Mr Kyari has been dogged by multiple allegations of brutality and corruption, but his controversial side was long overlooked for his adorned image as a crime-busting police officer, up until his indictment in one of the biggest international scandals involving Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi,
Peoples Gazette had earlier detailed how court document exposed the DCP’s dealings with Hushpuppi.
Officials said in court filings that Mr Abbas disclosed during interrogation that he paid bribes to Mr Kyari to have one of his rivals arrested and jailed in Nigeria following a dispute over a $1.1 million dupe of a Qatari businessperson.
Huspuppi and Kyari
The FBI said Messrs Abbas and Kyari have been friends and were both involved in a conspiracy to launder money.
Following the revelation, a warrant of arrest was issued for the arrest of the super cop.
In a bid to save its face, the Nigerian Police, in a late move on Sunday, announced the suspension of the commissioner and set up a Special Investigation Panel to grill him on FBI allegations. The police authorities had hitherto brushed off accusations against Mr Kyari prior to FBI indictment.
In light of unfolding events, The Gazette profiles five atrocities committed by DCP Kyari.
The murder of Offa robbery suspect Michael Adiukwu
One of many of the atrocities committed under the leadership of DCP Kyari was the murder of Michael Adiukwu a member of the Offa robbery gang who died in detention.
Mr Adiukwu was part of the robbery squad that held offa hostage in 2019 the former police officer and his team robbed banks and attacked police stations in the community killing about 17 people.
While there were allegations that the robbery had a political undertone, the robbery suspects were forced to accuse former Senate President Bukola Saraki of sponsoring the robbery operation.
Mr Kyari’s team claimed that one of the suspects was spotted at a social function with Mr Saraki, adding that the suspects were political thugs working for the former senate president.
However, Friday Akininibosin, one of the suspects being tried for his involvement in the robbery, told the court that the police forced him and the other suspects to indict Mr Saraki.
Exonerating Mr Saraki, the suspect said that Mr Adiukwu, was killed following his refusal to go with plans of Mr Kyari to indict the former senate president.
Mr Akininibosin further disclosed that Mr Kyari and his team killed five people to intimidate him and other offa robbery suspects to do their bidding.
While the DCP and his cohort alleged that Mr Adiukwu slumped and died, he however failed to produce a post mortem report to validate the claim before the court.
The suspect’s confession showed that Mr Adiukwu was killed to cover up facts surrounding the robbery that took place in Offa.
The illegal expropriation of assets of Enugu ‘billionaire kidnapper’ Collins Ezenwa
Mr Kyari and his team during a gun battle in 2018 murdered Collins Ezenwa, an Enugu based billionaire kidnapper. The police chief who didn’t stop at killing the kidnapper was alleged to have illegally taken over Mr Ezenwa’s multi-million naira assets without any form of court injunction.
Collins Ezenwa
Mr Kyari had said Mr Ezenwa was a notorious kidnapper who had committed untold atrocities before he was killed.
However, the National Human Rights Commission petitioned the then IGP, Ibrahim Idris, accusing Mr Kyari of illegally depleting the asset of Mr Ezenwa, a former police corporal. The super cop discarded the allegations by Mr Ezenwa’s wife and the NHRC, with claims that the allegations were cheap blackmails to dent his image after he refused a bribe to settle the case against her late husband.
Mr Kyari took into possession, hotel and duplex linked to Mr Ezenwa, estimated to be about N400 million, according to the NHRC.
Violation of human rights and extortion of N41 million from Lagos businessman
Mr Kyari while as Operation Commander (OC), of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja in 2014, extorted funds to the tune of N41 million from Afeez Mojeed, a Lagos-based businessman.
In a court document seen by Peoples Gazette, Mr Mojeed alleged that Mr Kyari and two other officers broke into his Ajah residence illegally.
Mr Mojeed, who was at home with his pregnant wife, an 18 month-old son, and mother-in-law, said he thought it was a robbery.
The businessman alleged that he was battered alongside his family members.
Mr Kyari and his cohorts forcefully carted away items including phones, cheque books, bank cards, and documents after ransacking the house.
Mr Mojeed was then taken to the SARS office in Ikeja where he was detained for 14 days.
While in detention, Mr Mojeed alleged that Mr Kyari coerced him to sign three Zenith Bank cheques in the sum of N150,000 each, making N450,000 between October 22 and 23, 2014.
The police instructions of Mr Kyari, obtained the password to his bank card withdrawing another N395,000 between October 20 and 23, 2014.
Mr Mojeed also alleged that he was taken to Diamond bank on the instruction of Mr Kyari to forcibly transfer N41 million and N800,000 from his corporate account into the account of a man, Obinna Edward, on October 23 and 24, 2014.
However, the Lagos Federal High Court In 2017, ruled that the police pay compensation of N5 million to Mr Mojeed for infringing his fundamental human right and subjecting his family to such an inhumane treatment.
The failure of Mr Kyari and the police force to honour the court judgement made Mr Mojeed seek redress at the Lagos judicial panel of inquiry for victims of SARS-related abuses in 2020.
In a fresh petition filed on October 22, 2020, to the Lagos panel, Mr Mojeed revisited the ordeal at the hands of ‘super cop’ Kyari back in 2014.
However, The Gazette is unsure if Mr Mojeed finally got his overdue compensation.
Alleged rape of pro-Biafran agitator Ada Ngozichukwu
Amidst calls for probe of the ‘super cop’ following his latest indictment by FBI, a Facebook user penultimate Friday accused Mr Kyari of arresting and raping Ada Ngozichukwu, a pro-Biafran agitator.
Abba Kyari and screenshot of his deleted facebook post
Abba Kyari and screenshot of his deleted facebook post
The Facebook user identified as Collins Opurozor alleged that the super cop arrested Ms Ngozichukwu without charging her to court rather keeping her to himself.
Though the allegation is yet to be verified, Mr Kyari on Friday described his indictment by the FBI as a “show” he is “enjoying, while insinuating that he is unperturbed.
“Hahahahaha This is the funniest One so far, we are enjoying the Show,” Mr Kyari said on his Facebook page in response to the allegation on Friday night.
Checks by Peoples Gazzete hours later shows that Mr Kyari’s Facebook post which has been shared by over 600 persons and has garnered over 4000 comments has been pulled down after The Gazette highlighted Mr Kyari’s derision of his ongoing investigation by the police.
Arbitrary arrest and request for N1 million illegal bail fee
The inhumane treatment of Raphael Tersoo and Moses Mfe, who have been in police custody since 2019 without being charged is another atrocity committed under the watch of disgraced cop Kyari.
Mike Usahfa, Counsel to Messrs Tersoo and Mfe, while appearing before the judicial panel of inquiry in December 2020, claimed that his clients were subjected to inhumane treatment since they got arrested in 2019.
Mr Ushafa told the panel that his clients had spent a year in police custody without being arraigned. He further alleged that all attempts to secure their bail were blocked by one Inspector Makinde who requested that payment of N1 million be made before the arrested persons could be released.
Mr Ushafa told the panel that his clients were arrested on the 22 of November 2019 in new GRA Makurdi and that after spending a week at the Makurdi zonal command headquarters of the Nigerian police, they were transferred to Abuja and have since been in detention.
Further raising alarm over the whereabouts of Mr Mfe, the counsel said he had no knowledge of his whereabouts, fearing that he might have been extra-judicially killed.
Mr Ushafa explained that Mr Tersoo who suffered gunshot wounds during the cause of his arrest was not allowed access to medical care.
On hearing the petition, The Chairman, Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigerian police, Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) ordered the police to produce Mr Kyari and Inspector Vincent.
However, Mr Kyari failed to honour the panels summon.
Sourced from People’s Gazzete Newspapers
