Embattled Abba Kyari Now In NDLEA Custody

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed that the embattled deputy commissioner of police, Abba Kyari, is now in its custody.

The NDLEA in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said Kyari was handed over to the agency by the police.

The agency had early Monday declared Kyari wanted for aiding and abetting drug pushing and running his own drug cartel.

The declaration by the NDLEA came a few months after the former police intelligence unit commander was indicted in an internet fraud case by a U.S. court.

Following the declaration, the Nigerian Police announced that Kyari was arrested alongside four other members of the police intelligence response team.

Confirming the handover of suspects, Babafemi said the handover was done in the premises of the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB).

He said they arrived at the NDLEA headquarters around 5 p.m. on Monday.

“Few hours after he was declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA over his involvement in a 25 kilograms Cocaine deal, the Nigerian Police Force has handed over the suspended DCP Abba Kyari, the erstwhile Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force, to the anti-narcotic agency.

“Five of the wanted suspects namely: DCP Abba Kyari; ACP Sunday J. Ubua; ASP Bawa James; Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu were driven into the National Headquarters of NDLEA in Abuja at about 5pm on Monday 14th February to formally hand them over for interrogation and further investigation.

“The Agency wishes to assure that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that all suspects already in custody and those that may still be indicted in the course of investigation will face the full weight of the law at the end of the ongoing probe,” the statement said.

Earlier, Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi has announced that the embattled cop was arrested alongside four other persons for aiding and abetting drug pushing and running his own international cartel.

Kyari is said to be a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline.

“The saga started on Friday, January 21, 2022, when DCP Kyari initiated a call to one of the NDLEA officers 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,” Babafemi recounted.

“He appeared at the agreed venue of the meeting with the officer and went straight to the crux of the matter. This was it: 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 as well.

“By 11:05 am on Monday, January 24, 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.

“At this point, Kyari disclosed that the 15kg (already taken out) was shared between the informants that provided information for the seizure and he and his men of the IRT of the Nigerian Police.”

The declaration by the NDLEA comes a few months after the former police intelligence unit commander was indicted in an internet fraud case by a U.S. court.

The court had declared Mr Kyari wanted to answer allegations of complicity in the $1.1 million bribe fraud perpetrated by a popular fraudster, Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi.

This led to his suspension by the Police Service Commission (PSC) from office as a deputy commissioner of police and head of the IRT.

The NDLEA has since released a video and photo evidence that nailed Kyari.