Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/182/22, is praying the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the NDLEA to grant him bail on health grounds, pending the hearing and determination of his fundamental right enforcement application.
Kyari through his lawyer, Cynthia Ikena, claimed to be suffering from diabetes and hypertension and asked the court to order the NDLEA to release him.
But Justice Inyang Ekwo noted that the suit contained some averments that would require the response of the Federal Government.
“Upon studying the process of the Applicant and averments in support thereon, I am of the opinion that the respondent should be put on notice,” the judge held.
Justice Ekwo ordered that all the relevant processes should be served on FG which was cited as the sole respondent and adjourned the case till February 24 for hearing.
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, made this known in a statement while announcing the arrest of Kyari and four other police officers fingered by the NDLEA in drug-related crimes.
Reacting in a statement also on Monday through the Force Spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, the IGP said incontrovertible evidence indicted Kyari in the drug crimes.
It partly read, “The Nigeria Police Force has arrested DCP Abba Kyari and four other police officers for their involvement in an alleged case of criminal conspiracy, discreditable, unethical, and unprofessional conduct, official corruption and tampering with exhibits in a case of illicit drug trafficking involving a perpetual transnational drug cartel.
“The arrest of the officers was sequel to pieces of information received from the leadership of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on 10th February 2022.
The statement also added, “In so doing, the Inspector General of Police has also formally requested that the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency should ensure the identification, arrest, and investigation of the Agency’s officers who have also been found to be colluding with the international drug cartel involved in this case towards advancing the anti-narcotics agenda of the federal government.
The PUNCH had reported that Kyari was indicted in 2021 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States for his alleged role in a $1m scam allegedly perpetrated by alleged international Internet fraudster Ramon Abbas, aka, Hushpuppi and five others.
Suspended Head of Intelligence Response Team and Deputy Police Commissioner, Abba Kyari was arrested hours after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency declared him wanted over alleged drug links.
The suspended DCP is also under investigation after the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America indicted him in the case of fraud involving Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.
A senior police officer at the Force headquarters told our correspondent that 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 police officer said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Force, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, also confirmed Kyari’s arrest.
He, however, did not give details, saying that a press release would be issued soon.
When asked to confirm Kyari’s arrest, Adejobi replied, “Yes and four others. A statement will be issued soon.”
Suspended Head of Intelligence Response Team and Deputy Police Commissioner, Abba Kyari was arrested hours after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency declared him wanted over alleged drug links.
The suspended DCP is also under investigation after the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America indicted him in the case of fraud involving Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.
A senior police officer at the Force headquarters told our correspondent that 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 police officer said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Force, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, also confirmed Kyari’s arrest.
He, however, did not give details, saying that a press release would be issued soon.
When asked to confirm Kyari’s arrest, Adejobi replied, “Yes and four others. A statement will be issued soon.”
The Police Service Commission has given the police two weeks to conclude investigation on the case involving the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.
According to a statement signed by the Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, the commission also directed that the investigation should be carried out by a different panel.
The commission took the decision at the continuation of its 14th plenary meeting, which ended in Abuja, on February 11, 2022, chaired by retired Inspector-General of Police and Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Musiliu Smith.
Kyari, until his suspension by the commission, was the officer-in-charge of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this at a press conference, saying that the suspected companies and individuals were uncovered by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
He said, “To check terrorism financing in Nigeria, the Federal Government has deployed a plethora of tools, including the Money Laundering Act, 2004, the EFCC Act, 2004, the ICPC Act, 2000, Department of State Services and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to deal with the issue of corruption, money laundering and terror financing. The ongoing harmonization of Bank Verification Numbers with National Identification Numbers is also a means of tracking the flow of funds within Nigeria and, by extension, tackling terror financing.”
Mohammed added, “For its part, the analysis by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, in 2020-2021, revealed 96 financiers of terrorism in Nigeria, 424 associates/supporters of the financiers, involvement of about 123 companies and 33 bureaux de change, in addition to identifying 26 suspected bandits/kidnappers and 7 co-conspirators.
“The analysis has resulted in the arrest of 45 suspects who will soon face prosecution and seizure of assets. Also, from its analysis of tax evasion and tax avoidance linked to corruption, NFIU has identified N3,909,707,678,112.43 in VAT and N3,737,918,335,785.82 in Withholding Tax due to the Government.
“NFIU has also sent 1,165 intelligence reports on cases of corruption, money laundering and other serious offences to 27 domestic agencies for investigation, prosecution and asset recovery. On terrorism financing, NFIU had intelligence exchanges on Boko Haram, ISWAP, banditry, kidnapping and others with 19 countries. During the same period, 2020-2021, the organization returned fraudulently-obtained funds totalling US$103,722,102.83, 3,000 Pound Sterling; 7,695 Singapore Dollar and 1,091 Euros to 11 countries of victims who came into the country.”
A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Lagos.
News correspondent learnt that the ex-minister, who rejoined the All Progressives Congress in September, was brought to the Lagos Zonal Office of the anti-graft agency.
The details of the allegations against him were sketchy but the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed Fani-Kayode’s arrest by operatives.
“I think something like that happened,” he said and declined to comment further.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja also found him guilty of concealing his true identity as signatory to accounts opened in UBA and Fidelity Bank by using the identity of his family members without their knowledge.
These accounts were said to have cash deposits of N300 million, N500 million and N1.5 billion.
The court held that Maina stole monies meant for pensioners as he could not prove where he got same from.
Justice Abang also held that through Maina’s service as a civil servant, his salary and emoluments would not amount to the monies in these accounts.
The court further held that the prosecution (the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission), produced essential evidence through witnesses called, to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Maina was also guilty of money laundering in sum of N171,099,000.
This formed part of the proceeds of unlawful act, the court ruled.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Department of State Services have arrested 48 individuals for alleged illegalities in the conduct of the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board.
The sting operation consequently led to the arrest of the President of Tutorial School Owners, the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, disclosed in a statement, titled, ‘ICPC, DSS arrest 48 lecturers, security officers, ICT specialists over leakage of JUPEB examinations.’
The statement said, “The suspects were arrested from Wellspring University, Benin, Edo State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State and Crown-Hill University, Ilorin, Kwara State.
“Again, the raid of tutorial centres by operatives in McPherson and Precious Cornerstone universities in Ibadan and Ilara-Epe, in Oyo State, respectively, led to more arrest of suspects.”
It added, “Three current Vice-Chancellors have been invited by the ICPC for their roles in the unchecked and massive malpractices reported. It was revealed that syndicated social media platforms were created by the facilitators for leaking questions and circulating answers to students for a fee during examinations.
“Investigation also revealed that candidates, who are mostly minors, allegedly paid between N350,000 to N500,000 each to the suspects in the various tutorial schools to engage in the illegalities.”
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