Update: Court Denies Embattled Super Cop, Abba Kyari Bail

Embattled Nigerian super cop, Abba Kyari has been denied bail by the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court

 In a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Emeka Nwite held that Mr Kyari had not given sufficient grounds for the application to be granted.

The judge said the detained police officer failed to raise new facts in his latest application after being denied the earlier bail request.

Mr Nwite consequently adjourned the matter until October 19, 20 and 21 for trial continuation.

On July 20, the judge fixed August 30 for the ruling on the bail plea filed by Mr Kyari and other police officers charged by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for a drug offence.

Mr Kyari had prayed the court for another bail following the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre by Boko Haram terrorists who freed scores of their members.

The suspended police boss and other defendants are detained in the correctional centre.

 

Why I Don’t Want To Face Trial In US – Embattled Super Cop, Abba Kyari Tells Court

One time celebrated embattled Nigerian super Cop, DCP, Abba Kyari, has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja not to approve his extraditionto the United States of America, USA, to face trial over his alleged involvement with a notorious internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.

 Kyari, who is currently in prison custody for drug related charges, in fresh processes he filed before the court, alleged that the plan to send him to the U.S. for prosecution, was for the purpose of punishing him.

Insisting that his arrest and subsequent detention had “political undertone”, the embattled DCP told the court that the request to extradite him to the USA was “directed to undermine the crackdown on various crime gangs by the Respondent in Nigeria and internationally”.

Kyari, in a counter-affidavit that was deposed to by his younger brother, Mohammed, maintained that all the allegations pending against him, are not extraditable offences.

“I know as a fact that the specified offences are of a political character and were in fact made for the purpose of prosecuting and punishing the Respondent on account of his race, nationality and was not made in good faith nor in the interest of Justice”, the deponent averred.

Kyari, told the court that he is a highly decorated senior police officer that was already carrying out a “sting investigation” on Ramon Olorunwa Abbas or Abdulraman Imraan Juma, otherwise known as Hushpuppi, before he was framed up and arrested.

“A copy of the letter written by the Respondent to the Interpol on 28th January, 2020 and to the Inspector General of Police on 3rd March, 2020 in respect of the sting investigation being carried out by the Respondent are herewith attached as Exhibit 1a & 1b respectively. This was five months before the arrest of Ramon Abbas and others by the FBI.

“The request for the extradition is not supported by any document or verifiable evidence.

“The request is directed to undermine the crackdown on various crime gangs by the Respondent in Nigeria and internationally and has political undertone.

“The request is for purposes of persecuting or punishing the Respondent on account of his defence for the country.

“The Respondent is confronted with series of charges to break him down because of his achievements and various National honours. A copy of the charge framed against the Respondent by the NDLEA is herewith attached as Exhibit 2.

“The offences are trumped up and the Respondent is seriously committed to defending himself.

“The Application for extradition processes clearly shows allegation of crimes committed on Nigeria soil. A copy of the alleged charge framed against the Respondent by the US Government is herewith attached as Exhibit 3.

“The Respondent has undergone administrative inquiry which is still ongoing and has not been completed to date on the same matter.

“The Respondent is a Deputy Commissioner of Police in the employment of the Nigeria Police who is highly decorated with meritorious service/excellent awards for outstanding service to the nation and has nowhere to run to.

“The Respondent has equally been decorated by the US Authorities.

 

“Having regards to all the circumstances thereof, it will be unjust, oppressive and improper to surrender the Respondent to the USA.

“We also further submit that the alleged extradition offences are not listed and cannot be imported into it. For any offences to be extradition offences, it must carry the twin head of being listed in the extradition Treaty and has similar or analogous offence in Nigeria.

“The instant case has failed this test. We will rely on the list of Treaty. Equally, there is an ongoing criminal trial against the Respondent in FHC/ABJ/CR/57/2022, which the Applicant failed to disclose.

“Finally, the Respondent submits that the Applicant’s request concealed the ongoing criminal proceedings against the Respondent and it will prove that on the merit, this application is deserving of being dismissed and the Respondent to be discharged accordingly for the above and other reasons herein”, he added.

Enumerating some of his achievements in the police, Kyari told the court that he was awarded a Presidential medal for courage on April 1, 2016, “three times IGP Commendation for Courage for years 2012, 2013 and 2014, two times recipient of NPF Gold Medal, three times Governor‘s Commendation Medal for Courage & Excellence by the Lagos State Government for years 2011, 2012 and 2013, Award for Outstanding Service to the Nation by the National Assembly (House of Representatives) 2020 and over170 more awards that are too numerous to mention.

“The Respondent has been involved in several national assignments and has in the course of his assignments made many foes.

“The respondent has received several international awards and honours including United States of America where he received Commendation Award from the FBI for rescuing Americans kidnapped in Nigeria, arresting the kidnappers and arrest of murderers of a serving American soldier killed in Imo state”, the counter affidavit further read.

However, the Federal Government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, in its own affidavit that was deposed to by one Bello Abubakar Sholadoye, said it has sufficient evidence to warrant Kyari’s extradition to the U.S. for trial.

It told the court that the office of the AGF, “was in receipt of Extradition request vide a diplomatic channel for the extradition of the Respondent fugitive wanted to stand trial in the USA.

“That the AGF is satisfied that there is no bar to the extradition application”.

FG, argued that Kyari’s ongoing trial for drug trafficking would not stop the court from approving his extradition, stressing that surrending him to the U.S. government could be postponed by the AGF till the conclusion of his trial in Nigeria.

“In conclusion, this Honourable Court is respectfully urged to resolve that the Applicant has placed suffficient material before this Honourobte Court to grant the application for extradition order and the extradition of the fugitive and his remand to await the Surrender Order of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation at determination of the criminal charge against him”, FG added.

Meanwhile, Justice Inyang Ekwo has adjourned the matter till Friday to enable FG’s lawyer, Mr. Pius Akutah, to respond to Kyari’s preliminary objection against his planned extradition.

The court said it would take both the objection and the substantive suit together.

Kyari is wanted in the U.S. to stand trial for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft.

A grand jury had in April 29, 2021, filed an indictment against him with the approval of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, afterwhich a warrant was issued for his arrest.

 

Breaking: Embattled Super Cop, Abba Kyari Escapes Murder In Kuje Prison After 190 Inmates Attacked Him

According to report, Embattled Nigerian super Cop, Abba Kyari has escaped being killed in Kuje prison

Report also said prison officials are considering moving Abba Kyari to the custody of the State Security Service (SSS) from the Kuje prison after he nearly got murdered by aggrieved inmates, who accused him of insincerity in bribe-for-release deals when he was in active service.

Further report says the attack happened on May 4, months after Mr Kyari, who is on trial for drug-related offences, was remanded. His attackers were about 190, an official said, and they are mostly in prison for drug offences.

47yeara old Mr Kyari who was a deputy commissioner of police and was decorated cop and head of the elite Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector-General Police before his fall.

Recall he was suspended from police duties after being named last July by American investigators as an accomplice in the international fraud and money laundering scheme of Ramon Abbas, popularly called Hushpuppi.

Then, while on suspension and awaiting the outcome of an internal probe, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in February accused him of involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The agency released a video in which Mr Kyari appeared to be describing his use of his team to push drugs and discussing sharing of a criminal fortune.

He was charged to court in March and remanded in Kuje prison.

However, the Kuje attackers claimed Mr Kyari prosecuted them despite taking bribes from them.

One of the sources, a state investigator and intelligence officer, described Mr Kyari as a “dodgy criminal.”

Mr Kyari has not been convicted of any crime and has said he is innocent of the allegations for which he has been charged.

Quoting the inmates, a sources said Mr Kyari was “eliminating smaller (drug) dealers to clear the field for Afam Ukatu,” a suspected billionaire drug baron allegedly behind N3 billion Tramadol deal linked to Mr Kyari.

“Inmates claimed that upon arrest, Abba Kyari demanded bribes to kill the case, then still prosecuted them,” a Kuje prison source who accessed the testimonies of the aggrieved inmates, said.

 

I’m Kept In Kuje Prison Private Cell, Forced To Pay DSTV Bills For My Fellow Inmates – Embattled Super Cop, Abba Kyari Lament

 

Embattled Nigeria super Cop, Abba Kyari says he is being forced to bankroll the DSTV subscription bills for his fellow inmates at Kuje prison as he cools off his feet in a private cell.

 Nureini Jimoh, Mr Kyari’s lawyer who filed for a review of his client’s bail application, lamented the harsh treatment his client suffered at the prison.

Through his lawyer, Mr Kyari bewailed his incarceration at the correctional facility shared with other criminals, majority of whom were arrested by his team during his active years in service.

According to the documents seen by The Gazette, the suspended officer had resorted to doling out cash gifts to inmates and paying cable television bills to avoid being attacked and killed by the vicious criminals he helped put behind bars.

“In a bid to mitigate the threats to kill the defendants/applicants, the chief warder advised DCP Abba Kyari and other defendants to advance some goodwill to the inmates by funding renewal of the DSTV subscription in all the cells for two months and make some cash donations to all the inmates group leaders as well as the church and mosque. The defendants/applicants complied on 29/03/2022,” stated the document.

Mr Kyari’s brother Mohammed swore an affidavit that contained details of the disgraced police officer’s argument.

Praying the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to review his bail application, the alleged drug dealer claimed his life was not safe as he had been accosted by a Boko Haram terrorist “Yasir,” on March 31, despite being held in a private cell.

Mr Kyari further expressed worry over the increasing number of threats from fellow inmates comprising terrorists and armed robbers he once arrested in the course of duty.

“The number of inmates in prison at the distance of the IRT is large, but most worrisome are those arrested for terrorism, vowing to revenge the killing of their members who died in the course of operations by the DCP Abba Kyari led IRT,” Mr Jimoh pointed out. “The resultant effect of placing the applicants together with the condemned criminals in the same custodial home will have negative impacts on police and other security personnel, the likelihood of endangering and exposing the life of the officers to criminals in and out of service.”

Mr Kyari’s previous request for bail application to the court was initially rejected.

Citing instances of insecurity such as the Kaduna-Abuja train bombing on March 28, the Kaduna airport attack, as well as rampant banditry on the road linking Kaduna to Abuja, Mr Kyari argued that Nigeria had become a hotbed of crises ever since his arrest.

 

Abuja-Kaduna Train Bomb Happened, Other Crime Increasing Because I’m In Prison – Embattled Super Cop, Abba Kyari Says

Embattled Nigerian super Cop, Abba Kyari says his arrest and continued detention at the Kuje prison has emboldened criminals in their incessant onslaught against Nigeria.

 Mr Kyari made the statement through his lawyer Nureini Jimoh, who prayed the Federal High Court in Abuja to review his bail application initially rejected.

Citing instances of insecurity such as the Kaduna-Abuja train bombing on March 28, the Kaduna airport attack, as well as rampant banditry on the road linking Kaduna to Abuja, Mr Kyari argued that the country had become a hotbed of crises ever since his arrest.

“Upon the incarceration of the applicants, criminality in the nation has risen up. The Kaduna train attack, Kaduna-Abuja road attack as well as Kaduna airport attack was a result of the incarceration of the applicants,” partly reads the document submitted to the court.

Mr Kyari further stressed in the document that failure of the police to apprehend the bandits was hinged largely on his detention, insinuating security officials were incapable of functioning efficiently without his professional input.

Mr Kyari said: “The entire plan to incarcerate the applicants led to the criminal upsurge and other high level insecurity in the country. Since the incarceration of the applicants, the police have not recorded any level of success on the senseless attack(s) across the country.”

Pleading to be granted bail, the disgraced cop said his life and that of his accomplices were at risk sharing the correctional facility with criminals that they put in jail, including IPOB/ESN fighters, Onye army, terrorists from Kuje/Nyanya-Abuja bombing and more.

“At the centre, the applicants who were Head and deputy head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force met stiff resistance, attack and open threats to the lives of the applicants by series head of criminal gang that they had bursted.

“There is no correctional centre that the criminals that have been arrested by the IRT under the headship of the applicant in furtherance of their constitutional and statutory duties as police officers cannot be found and there is a high likelihood of threat to the lives of the applicants,” Mr Kyari’s lawyer argued in the court document.

 

Court Refuses To Grant Embattled Super Cop, Abba Kyari Bail

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Monday, declined to grant the bail application of one time Nigerian celebrated super Cop, Abba Kyari.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, held that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had placed sufficient evidence before the court to refuse the bail request.

Mr Nwite also rejected the bail plea of Mr Kyari’s co-defendants.

The NDLEA, in its counter affidavit, held that it was inappropriate to grant bail to the applicant because of the facts and circumstances of the case.

The anti-narcotic agency described Mr Kyari as “a flight risk.”

It argued that if granted bail, the suspended DCP might jump bail.

The NDLEA, which said Mr Kyari might interfere with the evidence if granted bail, urged the court to dismiss his bail plea.

It argued that the medical challenges of the applicant were not beyond the capacity of the agency’s medical personnel.

The judge, in the ruling, aligned with NDLEA’s arguments and dismissed the request.

 

Breaking: Embattled Super Cop, Abba Kyari Set To Be Extradite, As AGF Malami Files Process

Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General has prayed the Federal High Court to grant approval for immediate extradition of embattled police chief Abba Kyari to the United States.

Recall that the once celebrated cop, Kyari was indicted by the FBI last year on allegations of conniving with international fraudster Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas to defraud a Qatari businessman of millions of dollars. Hushpuppi was extradited to the U.S. from Dubai in 2020.

Mr Kyari initially denied the charges, but he was subsequently suspended by the police and a police probe panel confirmed his guilt.

As the case was underway, Mr Kyari was separately indicted by Nigeria’s anti-narcotics office NDLEA for stealing bags of cocaine. He has been in the custody of the NDLEA for more than two weeks and is expected to be there until trial.

Mr Malami said Mr Kyari should be extradited to face trial in the U.S. because his case there was solid and not politically or religiously motivated.

In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/249/2022 and filed directly with the Chief Judge of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court and first reported by Vanguard, the attorney-general said it was the U.S. Embassy in Abuja that submitted the request for Mr Kyari to be handed over for onward transfer to the FBI.

It was not immediately clear if dates have been assigned for hearing on the request or how soon it would be granted.

Breaking: Embattled Super Cop, Abba Kyari Drags Federal Government To Court Over NDLEA’s Detention

Embattled Nigerian Super Cop, Abba Kyari, has dragged the Federal Government before a Federal High Court in Abuja over his continued detention by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to reports gathered, Kyari is seeking a court order in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/182/22, to be released from detention.

Recall that Kyari was suspended on August 1, 2021, over his involvement with an Internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly called Hushpuppi.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accused the suspended Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team of receiving bribe from Hushpuppi.

He is currently being detained by NDLEA operative over alleged involvement in trafficking hard drugs and being a member of an international drug cartel.