DSP Abba Kyari Arrested, Handed Over To NDLEA For Alleged Drugs Trafficking

The suspended head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), DCP Abba Kyari, has been arrested and handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after he was declared wanted for alleged drug trafficking.

Abba Kyari Alleged Drug Link

KanyiDaily recalls that on Monday, February 14, the NDLEA had declared Abba Kyari wanted for alleged drug trafficking and for being a member of a drug syndicate operating across the globe.

The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi had said the anti-drug agency strongly believes that “DCP Kyari is a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline”.

The anti-narcotics 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 from Ethiopia and offered $61,400 to NDLEA officers who played along until his arrest.

Babafemi also said the NDLEA had a series of photo and video evidence against Kyari and his team who connived and proposed to take 15kg of the seized cocaine for themselves.

Abba Kyari Arrested, Handed Over To NDLEA

Shortly after he was declared wanted, Abba Kyari and four members of his IRT team were taken into custody by the police and handed over to the NDLEA operatives.

Others arrested alongside Kyari include ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agrigba, and Inspector John Nuhu, while the fifth suspect, ASP John Umoru, is still at large.

The police said they were arrested on Monday 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,

Speaking after the police announced their arrest, Babafemi said Kyari and his alleged accomplices were handed over for interrogation and further investigation at about 5pm.

He said: “Few hours after he was declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA over his involvement in a 25 kilograms Cocaine deal, the Nigerian Police Force has handed over the suspended DCP Abba Kyari, the erstwhile Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force, to the anti-narcotic agency.

“Five of the wanted suspects namely: DCP Abba Kyari; ACP Sunday J. Ubua; ASP Bawa James; Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu were driven into the National Headquarters of NDLEA in Abuja at about 5pm on Monday 14th February to formally hand them over for interrogation and further investigation.

“The Agency wishes to assure that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that all suspects already in custody and those that may still be indicted in the course of investigation will face the full weight of the law at the end of the ongoing probe.”

KanyiDaily recalls that last year, Abba Kyari was suspended by the police after United States’ FBI indicted him over his alleged role in a $1.1millon scam allegedly perpetrated by suspected fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.