‘We’ve established reasonable grounds for prosecution, extradition of Kyari, says AGF Malami

In what appears to be a U-turn in the prolonged debate over the state of the alleged bribery case against suspended Head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police, DCP Abba Kyari, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Abubakar Malami SAN, says his office has established reasonable grounds to either prosecute the embattled senior officer or extradite him to the United States to face trial.

Speaking while featuring on a Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, Monday, Malami, whose office was forwarded the report of police investigations on Abba Kyari, confirmed that there ‘were reasonable grounds’ to proceed against Kyari by either putting him on or extraditing him to the U.S. where charges are pending against him.

“As far as I am concerned, the parties are discussing, the parties are collaborating and there are exchanges of corre­spondence from the perspec­tive of investigation, from the perspective of extradition and associated things,” he said.

On whether the police report found Kyari guilty, Malami said: “You can’t find someone guilty, but perhaps, reasonable grounds for suspicion can be established which will translate into prosecution. “That is why we are talking of reasonable grounds for suspicion. Rea­sonable grounds for suspicion have been established and that will eventually translate to the possibility of prosecu­tion and eventual conviction if at the end of the day one is adjudged guilty by the court of law.

“It is an issue that has international and national dimensions. Actions have been taken, it is a work-in-process locally and internationally and we are doing whatever it takes to ensure justice is done within the context of the law regardless of the personalities that are involved.

“When criminality is involved, Nigeria and U.S. naturally work together when there are elements of the of­fences that have taken place in the diverse jurisdictions.

It would be recalled that, last July, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, ordered a review of the allegations leveled against embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, with the report also indicting the senior police officer, but with the Police Chief recommending reprimand in the form of demotion for the embattled Kyari.

However, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has insisted on outright dismissal for Kyari over multimillion-dollar fraud. The PSC panelists which reviewed the IGP recommendations while acknowledging Kyari’s strides when he was in active service, said his infractions as to Hushpuppi’s criminal activities were too weighty to be forgiven, as they posited that if not appropriately and firmly decided, could leave an enduring blight on the country’s law enforcement.

“Allowing somebody who has embarrassed the country to keep a high-ranking position in the police could further compound our problems as a nation,” a top official said, adding; “This position has been clearly conveyed to the inspector-general.”

The position of panelists at PSC led to the return of Inspector-General Alkali Baba Usman’s report last week. The police chief was given two weeks to come up with a better report or the PSC would be forced to act.

“The IGP recommended demotion of Abba Kyari from DCP [deputy police commissioner] to ACP [assistant police commissioner] and this led to the anger of the PSC,” another source confirmed.

Kyari is alleged to have received huge sums of money from a  $1.1million loot said to be bribes paid by suspected internet fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas (alias Hushpuppi) who is presently in the United States facing trial for offences bordering on money laundering and cybercrimes.

Kyari is also the subject of a United States Court warrant of arrest.

Judge Otis Wright of the United States District Court for the Central District of California ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to track down Kyari and produce him in the United States for his role in a multi-million dollar fraud perpetrated by Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas, a notorious Nigerian fraudster.

Abbas was arrested in Dubai in June, 2021 and he pleaded guilty to fraud in the U.S. The FBI said Messrs Abbas and Kyari have been friends and were both involved in a conspiracy to launder money.

Kyari was also indicted of receiving bribes from Abbas to arrest a member of the syndicate in Nigeria.

U.S prosecutors first sought a court warrant to arrest Kyari on February 12, 2021, according to court documents. Another warrant was requested on April 29, 2021.

Judge Wright’s permission for the FBI to arrest Kyari and hold him in U.S. custody was unsealed on July 26, 2021