EXCLUSIVE: Police panel to grill DCP Kyari as US issues arrest warrant

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will set up a panel to probe Abba Kyari, one of its high-profile officers, over his alleged relationship with Ramon Abbas, the self-confessed international fraudster, TheCable understands.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has already secured a court order for Kyari’s arrest following his indictment in the confessional statements made by the man better known as Hushpuppi.

TheCable understands that FBI has contacted Nigeria police over the warrant of arrest, but there is yet no official confirmation and the details are still sketchy.

An international warrant of arrest can be executed through the INTERPOL but there still has to be a judicial pronouncement before Nigeria can hand over Kyari, a deputy commissioner of police, to the FBI for trial in the US.

The police have been silent on the Kyari twist to the Hushpuppi saga.

But a senior officer who spoke with TheCable said the police hierarchy would first take an “in-house action” before any extradition process can be discussed.

“The police headquarters will set up a high-powered panel to probe the allegations against him before we decide on what to do next,” the officer informed TheCable without giving further details.

Hushpuppi was arrested in the UAE in June 2020 alongside 11 of his associates over allegations bordering on hacking, impersonation, scamming, banking fraud, and identity theft.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to the money laundering charges against him, putting him at the risk of 20 years imprisonment.

In a recent court document, the social media celebrity had alleged that he bribed Kyari to arrest a co-fraudster.

The crack investigator, however, dismissed Hushpuppi’s claim, saying he did not receive any money from the socialite as alleged.

Amid the ensuing saga, additional court documents seen by TheCable showed that the US district court in California had ordered the FBI to arrest Kyari.

The extradition of Hushpuppi to the US had followed after the UAE police detailed his arrest in a special operation dubbed ‘Fox Hunt 2’ where he was accused of defrauding 1.9 million victims to the tune of N168 billion.

The embattled Instagram celebrity was thereafter arraigned and detained at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago ahead of his trial.