ALagos State-based businessman, in October 2020, accused Nigeria’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, of N41million extortion at the time when Kyari was the Operation Commander (OC), of the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja.
Kyari is currently enmeshed in fraud allegations made against him by serial internet fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, who recently pleaded guilty in the United States.
Hushpuppi, who pleaded guilty to various charges, including money laundering, wire fraud, and felony, among others, in a United States court had said he used Kyari, the leader of the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team, to jail a fellow fraudster, Kelly Chibuzor Vincent, after both were locked in a dispute presumably over how to share the $1.1million loot received from the Qatari businessperson.
“According to the affidavit, Kyari is a highly decorated deputy commissioner of the Nigeria Police Force who is alleged to have arranged for Vincent to be arrested and jailed at Abbas’ behest, and then sent Abbas photographs of Vincent after his arrest. Kyari also allegedly sent Abbas bank account details for an account into which Abbas could deposit payment for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment,” U.S. Justice department had stated in documents which are now public.
In October 2020, the Lagos businessman, Mojeed, had explained that Kyari was involved in fraud of about N41 Million, although Mojeed could not ensure that justice was served in the matter.
Mojeed had noted that he unsuccessfully pursued the matter at the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
In a petition filed on October 22, 2020, through Salawu Akingbolu and Co, and addressed to the Lagos judicial panel of inquiry for victims of SARS-related abuses, Kyari and his officers were accused of forcefully taking about 32 items from Mojeed’s house during a raid in 2014.
The businessman, who was at home with his pregnant wife, an 18 month-old son, and mother-in-law, said he thought it was a robbery.
He said phones, cheque books, bank cards, and documents were taken. After ransacking the house, Mojeed was reportedly taken to the SARS office in Ikeja where he was detained for 14 days.
He was later “arraigned on a trumped-up charge” of stealing N97 million. In the documents seen by TheCable at the time, it was alleged that for over one year during which the matter was in court, the police “never showed up or brought any witness.”
“They forcefully took his wedding ring and that of his wife from them, opened their wardrobe and took the sum N280,000 and the sum of N50,000 was also taken from his car, after which the Honda Accord (2008) model was seized and taken away till today,” the petition read, adding that the charges against him were later struck out in court.
Narrating his ordeal, Mojeed said while in detention, “the police under the supervision and threat of Abba Kyari (OC SARS) forced him to sign three Zenith Bank cheques in the sum of N150,000 each, making N450,000 on October 22 to 23, 2014 and gave the sum to Alabi Olawale Nurudeen who is one of their cronies to withdraw”.
The police allegedly obtained a password to his bank card and withdrew another N395,000 between October 20 and 23, 2014.
Allegedly on the directive of Kyari, Mojeed was taken by “one Inspector Fola, Corporal Bolu and Corporal Akeem to Diamond Bank Ajah branch on October 23 and 24 to forcefully transfer N41 million and N800,000” from his corporate account into the account of one Obinna Edward, whom Mojeed stated he had never seen or heard of before.
Presently, an arrest warrant has been issued against Kyari by a US court to show up and answer for the fraud allegations and indictment on his person by Hushpuppi.
Culled from Sahara Reporters