Abba, Abba, Abba and Mele – how well do you know your Kyaris?

Who is Mele Kyari, the new group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)?

The news making the rounds is that the NNPC boss is related to Abba Kyari (pictured), President Muhammadu Buhari’s chief of staff (CoS); some even say he is the CoS’s younger brother.

And the issue is hotter than you would imagine. In fact, a social media user insinuated that with the new development, the NNPC is now “Kyari Family Petroleum Corporation.”

One of the posts already gaining traction from a Twitter user by the name Mr. Izrael said: “So Buhari has Appointed Abba Kyari’s brother, Mele Kyari as NNPC GMD. Mele Kolo Kyari who hails from Borno State, north-east Nigeria is to take over from Dr. Maikanti Baru. Nigeria is a comedy show.”

So Buhari has Appointed Abba Kyari’s brother, Mele Kyari as NNPC GMD

Mele Kolo Kyari who hails from Borno State, North-East Nigeria is to take over from Dr. Maikanti Baru.
.
Nigeria is a comedy show. And Buhari is the performing Artist.
The joke is on Us… 😏😏 pic.twitter.com/Ww4Xs2nyQa

— Mr Izrael 👑 (@Mr_Izrael) June 20, 2019

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MERE MISCONCEPTIONS OR JUST MISCHIEF?

Contrary to the information flying around online, the new NNPC GMD is not the younger brother to the president’s chief of staff — and they have no form of relationship neither.

While the new NNPC GMD is of the Kanuri ethnic stock, Abba Kyari is of the Shuwa group. Biologically, they are miles apart.

NIGERIA’S ‘KYARIS’

You would think the controversy over the misconstrued identity is just around the two but — wait for it — two more popular Nigerians also go by the name Abba Kyari.

Remember the deputy commissioner of police in charge of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT)? His name is Abba Kyari and he is one of Nigeria’s most successful policemen. He is known to have led the clampdown on various notorious gangs and criminals including Evans the notorious kidnapper.

He has often times been mistaken to be a relative of the president’s chief of staff, but that is not true. In fact, he hails from Yobe state while Buhari’s right-hand man is from Borno state.

There is also another Abba Kyari, former military governor of the defunct north-central state, who is now deceased. He died in November, 2018, at the age of 80, and had served as military governor during the regime of General Yakubu Gowon. Kyari led the northern delegates to the 1994 National Constitutional Conference.

We must be factual in our criticism otherwise it erodes our credibility. It is NOT true to say that Mele Kyari, the new GMB of NNPC, is a relative of Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to @MBuhari. I have know Abba for 40 yrs and I assure you that Mele is not a member of his family.

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— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) June 20, 2019

So, when next a certain Kyari pops up in the news, be sure to know which one is being referred to — that of the presidency, the Nigeria police force or the NNPC?