Abba Kyari escapes murder in Kuje prison

Embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has reportedly escaped death after aggrieved inmates, who accused him of insincerity in bribe-for-release deals when he was in active service.

According to a report by Premium Times, internal documents and officials said the attack happened on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, months after Kyari was remanded following his ongoing trial for drug-related offences.

An official whose name was not mentioned said that the prisoners who wanted Kyari dead were about 190 and they are mostly in prison for drug offences.

Moves to ensure Kyari’s safety begin

After the attack, prison officials are reportedly considering moving Kyari to the custody of the State Security Service (SSS) from the Kuje prison.

The Kuje attackers claimed Kyari prosecuted them despite taking bribes from them.

The embattled senior police officer was allegedly rescued by officials and has since been kept in an isolated cell “under heavy protection where no one sees him for fear of attack or poisoning.”

It was further alleged that Kyari has had to pay each of the aggrieved inmates N200,000 “to buy loyalty and peace.”

Nevertheless, sources cited by the newspaper said the aggrieved inmates have continued to threaten Kyari’s life even after the settlement.

It was stated that official recommendation has therefore been made that Kyari should be transferred out of Kuje to an SSS facility.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correction Service, Francis Enobore, denied the attack on Kyari.

Enobore was quoted as saying: “I am not aware Abba Kyari paid anybody to secure his safety in prison.”

Why is Abba Kyari in prison?

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

First, 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.