Police not done investigating Abba Kyari weeks after Hushpuppi scandal

The Nigeria Police Force says its investigation of disgraced Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has not been concluded.

It was revealed last month that the celebrated police officer was indicted in the United States in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain and launder money in partnership with international fraudster, Ramon Abbas, aka Ray Hushpuppi.

The indictment led to Kyari's suspension and an internal investigation was launched, amid calls for him to be extradited to the U.S.

He was also replaced as the Head of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) by DCP Tunji Disu.

The Police Force said in a statement on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, that contrary to recent media reports, the investigation is ongoing.

"Members of the public are enjoined to note that the panel has not submitted its report to the Inspector General of Police, as being wrongly reported in some news outlet and online platforms," Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, said.

The commissioner of police promised that the outcome of investigations by the probe panel would be communicated to the public upon conclusion.

Kyari's scandalous link to Hushpuppi

The link between the two was made public following the unsealing of an indictment involving them and four others who scammed a Qatari businessperson of $1.1 million.

Court documents alleged that Hushpuppi arranged for Kyari to have his co-conspirator, Kelly Chibuzo Vincent, arrested following a disagreement over sharing of proceeds of the scam.

Vincent had contacted the victim to divert the loot to himself, prompting Hushpuppi to threaten him with repercussions which later came in the form of police intervention.

According to the affidavit, Kyari carried out the request and sent Hushpuppi photographs of a detained Vincent, as well as account details to receive his monetary reward.

A portion of the extracted cellphone records showed Hushpuppi explicitly told Kyari that Vincent sabotaged a job he was running, and asked that his partner be given 'serious beating of his life'.

"Please sir I want to spend money to send this boy to jail, let him go for a very long time," he texted Kyari after Vincent was arrested on January 20.

"Let me know how I can send money to the team sir. Let them deal with him like armed robber," he said in another text message.

Kyari alerted Hushpuppi a month later that Vincent had fallen ill in custody, suffering from fever and rashes he got from cellmates.

Hushpuppi later told the officer to release the detainee on February 25, but without his electronic devices, a request Kyari accepted.

The records also showed the police officer provided the account information for a bank account at Zenith Bank, an account not registered in his name.

Hushpuppi in May 2020 sent the police officer receipts for two bank transactions totalling $20,600 (over N8 million) sent to a Nigerian bank account, payments speculated to have been a bribe paid to his team.

The FBI said Kyari's knowing involvement in the scheme allowed Hushpuppi and others to continue defrauding the victim undetected.

The 46-year-old has in the past faced serious allegations of misconduct, but faced no serious investigations.

Other co-conspirators indicted are Abdulrahman Juma, Rukayat Motunrayo Fashola, and Bolatito Tawakalitu Agbabiaka.