By Lateef Adegbite
This is not the best of times for Abba Kyari, a 46 year-old, Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, who is celebrated in Police circles as a Crime buster. Kyari has won several awards as a crime buster including the National Police Medal award in 2013 and 2014 bestowed on him by Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, the then Nigerian Inspector General of Police, IGP.
He was said to have also been bestowed with the Africa’s Best Detective of the year 2018, and Best Police officer of the decade awards by Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, who was the IGP. President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Army General, was said to have also conferred on the highly decorated officer with a Presidential Medal for Courage in 2016.
Hafiz Ringim, who was the Nigerian IGP, between 2010 and 2012, during former President Goodluck Jonathan Administration, was said to have opened the floodgate of awards for the embattled DCP, in 2012. Indeed, the awards may have swollen up his head, thus making him untouchable that he had played into the hands of Abbas Ramon, popular Hushpuppi, an Instagram influencer, fueling the call for his sack from the Police for being a bad advertisement.
The highly decorated DCP, who has been in the news in both the Local and Foreign Newspapers, including the widely watched giant International Television, CNN, this time around, may not have been involved in investing any fraud but rather being invested by the North American country of the United States, US , Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, over his alleged role in the activities of the suspected serial internet fraudster Hushpuppi who will spend the next 20 years in a US, prison. His problem may have started for allegedly arresting one Kelly Chibuzor Vincent, a member of Hushpuppi led cybercrime gang.
The Nigerian celebrated crime buster who was acting up a script prepared by Hushpuppi, was said to have arranged for Vincent to be arrested and jailed in Nigeria. Prior to his estranged friend arrest in Nigeria, the International fraudster was said to have sent Vincent’s Photographs to Kyari, o facilitate his arrest and subsequently be tried in a Nigerian Court.
He was said to have played along with Hushpuppi and arrest Vincent, a member of the Nigerian Internet fraud gang operating in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, UAE. The highly decorated senior police officer who could not take it that money had exchanged hands in carrying out the arrest of Vincent had said in his Facebook account that the later’s arrest was informed by Huspuppi’’ distress call’’, claiming that Vincent had threaten to kill his family in Nigeria over undisclosed reason.
T T he Police DP may have been forced to open up on the arrest of the said Vincent and cybercrime ally of Hushpuppi with the pressure both within and outside the country. He was said to have presented his own side of the case in the social media when he revealed that two years ago, Hushpuppi, called their office to report that somebody has threatened kill his family in Nigeria , stating that he sent the phone number and pleaded that we take action before the person carries out his threat of attacking his family.
Recall, that Kyari had had repeatedly said that in carrying out the arrest, ‘’nobody demanded money from Hushpuppi’’. This may be a hard sale as many people knw that given Hushpuppi , kind of person, it would want part with money to ensure that DCP Kayari and his boys do a good job.. Described as, a lavish spender who had claimed to be a real Estate developer, he was determined to make the DCP happy . The CCN, had reported that he was ‘’famous for ‘’tossing wads of cash and launting his Rolls Royces, luxury watches and designer clothing in Instagram where he was said to have massed more than two million followers’’.
The bubble may have bust when Hushpuppi and Vincent, could not agree on the plot to defraud a Quatari businessman of more than $1.1 million. Vincent, who was said to be vehemently opposed to the plot, and has tried to tip-off their Quatari victim about the $1.1 million fraud. The Nigerian bornHushpuppi, did not find it funny as he plotted his revenge.
Although, there was initial disagreement between the duo, Hushpuppi and Vincent, they were said to have succeeded in defrauding the unnamed Quatari businessman of the sum of $1.1 millon. Hush, the Internet Fraud gang Leader was said to have used part of the stolen money to purchase an expensive Richard Mille RM11-03 Watch delivered to him in Dubai, UAE.
He was said to have also used part of the fraud money which had triggered problem between him and Vincent to allegedly acquire St. Christopher and Nevis citizenship as well as a Passport which were said to have been obtained by creating false marriage and bribing a government official at St. Kitts, going by the accounts in the documents tendered in a US, district Court by the FBI officials, Investigating him.
Note that about $41 million cash, 13 luxury cars, valued at about $6.8million, phone, and Computer, containing more than 100,000 fraud files and the addresses of close to two million possible victims were said to have been found in his residence when the Dubai police raided it.
Given the underground investigations on him by the UAE, Police for his luxury lifestyle in Dubai, he was arrested in June , 2020, alongside 11 of his Associates over allegations bordering with ‘’hacking people’s accounts, impersonation, scamming, banking fraud and identity theft’’.
It was reported that close to $41million cash, 13 luxury cars valued at about $6.8 million, phone and expensive watch and Computer containg more thatan 100,000 fraud files and addresses of over two million possible victims were discovered in his Dubai house during the police raid. He was subsequently extradited to the state of California, United State to face his trial, being investigated by the FBI.
He may have known that the game was up, as he was said to have pleaded guilty to all the charges brought against him by the FBI at the US District Court of California Central District of California and the matching order given by Otis Wright, the District Judge that Dcp Kayri, should be produced as he has a case to answer. The duo who were said to have been friends were said to have been’’ involved in a Conspiracy to Launder Foreig currency’’. The US, District Court Judge was said to have issued arrest warrant for DCP , Kyari in Nigeria.
There is no matter that has generated much attention in the recent time than that of the Hushpuppi, internet fraudster and DCP Kyari, in the. Opinions have been divided. Kingsley Moghalu, a Professor and one-time Deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and incidentally a former Presidential Candidate of the Young Progressive Party, YPP, would want the Katsina state born Nigerian President .
The former YPP, Presidential Candidate, would want the Katsina state born Nigerian President ‘’to respect International Law regarding DCP Kyari’s link with the fraudster, Hushpuppi. The Anambra state born politician believes that if Nnamdi Kanu, the acclaimed Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, could be arrested in the South African country of Kenya and flown back to Nigeria to face trial over his Biafran Campaign,’’ and Sunday Adeyemo, popular, Sunday Igboho, who is at the forefront for Campaign for Oduduwa Republic arrested in the neighbouring West African country of Benin and the Nigerian government still battling to ensure his extradition by the Beninois governemnt in order to face trial,’’ the Law must be made to take its course in the case of DCP Kyari’’.
He insists that the Nigerian President must not ‘’disrespect the international Law in black and white when it comes to certain Nigerians’’.
