The Police Service Commission (PSC) has given the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) 2 weeks to conclude investigation on the case involving a Deputy Commissioner of Police and suspended former Commander of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abba Kyari, over his alleged connection with the suspected fraudster, Abbas Ramon, commonly called Hushpuppi.
The PSC has deferred its decision on the case, insisting that a new panel be set up to conduct a fresh investigation into the matter.
According to a statement issued by PSC on Friday and signed by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, the commission made this known at its 14th Plenary Meeting held on Thursday, February 10, 2022 in Abuja which was chaired by Alhaji Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector General of Police and Chairman of the Commission.
The decision by the commission is coming barely 2 weeks after it rejected the report of the panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali to investigate the alleged connection between Abba Kyari and Hushpuppi for lacking depth.
The Police Service Commission’s directive
The commission in its statement said that the Standing Committee on Police Discipline and Appeals of the PSC had also directed the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to carry out a more thorough investigation on the matter and submit its report within 2 weeks in line with the advice by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) that all loopholes in the matter be tightened.
The statement partly reads, “The Commission also directed that further necessary investigation should take half the time it took the Police to conduct the original investigation and that the investigation should be carried out by a different panel.’’
What you should know
- Recall that the FBI indicted the former Head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abba Kyari, for receiving the sum of N8 million from Hushpuppi to arrest and detain a co-conspirator, Chibuzor Vincent after the latter threatened to expose the $1.1 million fraud against a Qatari businessman after he felt shortchanged.
- Although Kyari denied the allegations, the Police Service Commission, at the recommendation of the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, suspended the police officer.
- The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had a few days ago, admitted that the Federal Government is collaborating with the United States Government to ensure that justice is served in the Abba Kyari case, hinting at a possibility of extradition.
