By Okumagba Abiodun
End of service and fame for the embattled and suspended Head of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP’s) Intelligence Response Team, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, seem to have come after a long walk as he has been arrested by the Nigerian police.
It was learnt that Kyari, who loomed large in the Police, was arrested alongside four others mid-day on Monday.
He was said to be arrested few hours after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) declared him wanted for allegedly running a drug cartel.
The suspended DCP has since last year been under investigation after the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicted him in a case of fraud involving Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, alias Hushpuppi.
A police source at the Louis Edet House, Police headquarters, Abuja informed that DCP Kyari was handcuffed and arrested like any other suspect.
“He has been arrested. He was handcuffed and will be handed over to the appropriate agency.
“He was not given any preferential treatment,” the source said.
When contacted, the new spokesman for the Force, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, equally lent voice and confirmed Kyari’s arrest.
He, however, did not give details, saying that a press release would be issued soon as appropriate authorisation is obtained.
Earlier in the day, the spokesperson of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Femi Babafemi, had at a press conference, accused Kyari of belonging to a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug channel.
The anti-drug agency said Kyari contacted one of its officers in Abuja and struck a deal to secure the release of a total of 25kg seized cocaine, which led to his arrest after the agency asked the operative to play along and also obtained both video, text and audio evidences against Kyari.
The case Abba Kyari had in the past months almost dented the Police and its controlling agency, the Police Service Commission (PSC).
Even after the FBI formally requested for his extradition to the US to answer to allegations against him, the Force Headquarters and the PSC have engaged in hide and seek over the matter.
Kyari’s latest exploits, exposed by the NDLEA puts to question the handling of issues about certain police officers and also completely dented the image of Force Headquarters and the PSC.
Both agencies are yet to make public their reaction to the NDLEA’s statements, except for the said arrest which none knows what it will lead to.
Babafemi said, “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.”
“He (Kyari) brought with him the money from the sale of the 5kg share of the NDLEA team, a total of $61, 400. Our officer, however, preferred to take the money inside his car. Well, the car was wired with sound and video recorders. And the moment was documented, part of which I will play for you at the end of this briefing.
“We have a trove of intelligence, hard facts, from chats to photos and video and a detailed transcript of the communication between him and the NDLEA officer,” NDLEA spokesperson said.
