By Ogbonna Nwuke, Telegraph’s EIC
Until the Americans blew the whistle, DCP Abba Kyari was like any regular cop, living off a regular cop’s salary.
Kyari who shares the same name as Buhari’s late Chief of Staff was in the vanguard of security operatives, military and police, sent out to the East to stamp out a separatist revolt.
Although the authorities viewed the police officer as efficient, Igbo sources say he was rather “ruthlessly efficient.”
President Muhammadu Buhari… Ordered a crack down against separatist
Some persons, notably leaders of IPOB, reportedly fingered him as an officer who may have engaged in extra judicial killings.
There may be no vivid proof of his alleged excesses. Details are really sketchy.
But, in the East, before the sun set on his activities, DCP Kyari had become increasingly notorious for allegedly conducting operations that were at best Gestapo styled.
In the spider’s web
Evans, an Igbo currently being held for kidnapping a few weeks ago accused Kyari who served in IRT, an intelligence unit of the Nigeria Police of framing him.
Evans had claimed that the gun allegedly found on him was planted by Kyari and others at large.
No one is sure who is telling the truth at the moment.
It is doubtful the truth will ever come to light as Evans fights on. Matters are complicated right now. Kyari is perched in the eye of the storm.
Monday, the police arrested Kyari and some officers that are part of a ring that is working with an international gang which has roots in Brazil to turn Nigeria into a safe haven for drugs and narcotics.
Others arrested along with him are ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, ASP John Umoru (at large), Inspr. Simon Agrigba and John Nuhu.
The Police which handed them to the NDLEA said it had obtained evidence, through thorough investigations, that Kyari and his associates were neck deep in aiding and abetting the flow of drugs into Nigeria.
The West African nation in the meantime is fast transforming from a transit destination used by couriers who work for the drug cartel to a drug consuming country.
The consequences are dire. A youthful population is increasingly having access to hard drugs.
Bandits and terrorists known to consume intoxicants are becoming more daring and dangerous under the influence of drugs.
The NDLEA has of late stepped up its operations under the leadership of Marwa, a former military Governor of Lagos State, impounding drugs at airports in Lagos and Enugu respectively.
The FBI Connection:
Picture: Courtesy KanyiDaily.com
Unknown to the Nigerian authorities, the image of Kyari who was seen as a super cop was worse than any one could imagine.
Rammon Abbas aka Ray Hushpuppi standing in front of his exotic cars
Abroad, his growing involvement in the drug business was quietly being monitored and investigated by the FBI.
His investigation by the FBI began after Hushpuppi, a fraudster who is now a guest of the Americans fingered Kyari.
The Americans extended a warrant of arrest, urging leaders of the Nigerian Government to hand Kyari over to them.
The request by the Federal Bureau of Investigations had indicted Kyari for complicity in respect of official corruption, tampering with narcotics exhibit and sundry unprofessional conducts that negate standard administrative and investigative protocols.
Kyari, Hushpuppi, two sides of a bad coin.
There are indications that the FBI may have provided details of a conversation showing how Kyari forwarded a third party account to Rammon Abbas aka Ray Hushpuppi asking for the transfer of US$1.1 million.
Abuja however rebuffed Washington’s request for the extradition of Kyari, but went on to carry out an indept investigations of its own
It is now clear that in addition to a police investigation ordered by the Inspector General of Police, an undercover operation was similarly ordered by NDLEA officials whose activity, Kyari and his associates, were undermining.
Details of the NDLEA’s findings that are in the public domain are incriminating, awesome and solid.
Kyari in mufti.
Outcome of Police Investigation:
Investigations have now revealed Kyari was a bad cop; a conniving and excellent crook; who compromised ethics and extant laws in pursuit of personal aggrandizement.
Kyari and his gang turned intelligence gathering and law enforcement, according to emerging information, into an opportunity for perpetuating drug related crimes.
The Police report reveals that DCP Abba Kyari and four other police officers were allegedly involved in acts of criminal conspiracy.
It shows that their actions, which have left the authorities in shock, were discreditable, unethical and unprofessional.
The report admits there is proof of official corruption, evidence that Kyari and his friends tampered with exhibits in a case of illicit drug trafficking associated with a drug cartel.
The interim investigation revealed that two international drug couriers identified as Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus, both males, were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu on the 19th of January, 2022.
Opulence of a police officer
They arrived from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight, ET 917.
Their arrest led to the recovery of substantial quantities of a substance suspected to be cocaine.
The operation which was reportedly intelligence-driven, was undertaken by a Unit of the Police Intelligence
Response Team (IRT).
It has to be noted that DCP Abba Kyari’s involvement in some of the allegations that are trailing him occurred while he was on suspension from the force.
The report found that there is indeed substance in allegations of fraudulent behavior brought against DCP Abba Kyari by the FBI.
Based on the findings of the in-house Police Investigation, the Inspector-General of Police Monday, ordered the arrest and transfer of all the indicted police officers to the NDLEA authorities for a more conclusive investigation
Appropriate disciplinary actions are also being initiated against the suspects by the Police.
Smashing the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria drug triangle:
President Muhammadu Buhari in the midst of Igbo leaders
President Muhammadu Buhari in rejuvenating the NDLEA had urged action against hard drugs and those engaged in trafficking.
The NDLEA appears to have swung into action since Marwa came on board as the head of the organization.
A video of the sting operation conducted by the NDLEA which has gone viral has already nailed whatever chances defense lawyers would have when the trial of Kyari and his gang begins.
The arrest of the corrupt officers by the police, it is now known, may have been premised on bits of information received from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the 10th of February, 2022.
Telling its side of the story, an NDLEA official on Monday told journalists, hours before the police struck, “Unfortunately, some law enforcement agents who should be partners in the pursuit of the President’s mandate are at the forefront of breaking the law, as they aid and abet drug trafficking in the country.
“Today, we are forced to declare one of such law enforcement agents wanted in the person of suspended DCP Abba Kyari, the erstwhile Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force.
“With the intelligence at our disposal, the Agency believes strongly that DCP Kyari is a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline.”
The official further explained, “he needs to answer questions that crop up in an ongoing drug case in which he is the principal actor.
“His failure to cooperate forced the hand of the Agency and that is the reason for this press briefing.”
Kyari’s trouble started on Friday, January 21, 2022, when he initiated a call to an NDLEA officer in Abuja at 2:12 pm.
When the officer returned the call two minutes later, Kyari informed him he was coming to see him, to discuss an operational matter after the Juma’at service.
He appeared at the agreed venue of the meeting with the officer and went straight to the crux of the matter.
It turned out his team had intercepted and arrested some traffickers that came into the country from Ethiopia with, according to him, 25kg of cocaine.
He proposed a drug deal whereby he and his team are to take 15kg of the cocaine and leave 10kg for the prosecution of the suspects arrested with the illicit drug in Enugu.
In the meantime, the purloined cocaine will be replaced with a dummy worth 15kg. He asked the NDLEA officer to persuade men of the FCT Command, to play along.
But luck ran out on “Mr. Fix It” when NDLEA operatives refused to play ball.
Where is ASP John Umoru?
John Umoru, ASP, was not among corrupt officers working with Abba Kyari who have so far been arrested.
The Police statement issued Monday, said Umoru is at large. There was however no indication that he has turned himself in as at the time of this report.
Security operatives acting under strict orders are most likely on his trail. He is needed to face further investigation for his alleged role in working with the drug cartel.
Kyari had described members of his ring as “smart” and “loyal” while speaking to an undercover agent of the NDLEA.
Umoru’s loyalty now that he is obviously on the run would not be to Kyari who is cooling off at the NDLEA.
He would be loyal at this time to a primitive instinct to escape the long arms of the Americans whose insistence that Kyari was up to something sinister has led the Nigerian authorities to a crack down on some masterminds who are behind the infiltration of drugs and other narcotics.