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By Oluwaseun Ajayi
Embattled and suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has been declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over drugs deals, months after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicted him of conspiring with Hushpuppi, self-confessed international fraudster, in a $1.1 million internet scam.
Kyari problems appeared to have further worsened after the NDLEA in a press statement today declared him wanted for being a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline.
The suspended police officer had denied the allegation of the Iinks with Hushpuppi, claiming that his “hands are clean”
Invited by the NDLEA for debriefing over alleged drug deals on Thursday February 10 through two main channels, Kyari had failed to respond, according to NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
Until his suspension by the Police Commission, Kyari was the officer-in-charge of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT),
Babafemi disclosed that Kyari had earlier been caught on tape proposing a drug deal to one of NDLEA’s officers whereby he and his team are to take 15kg of the cocaine and leave 10kg for the prosecution of the suspects arrested with the illicit drug in Enugu.
”NDLEA has the mandate to take custody of suspects and consignments of drugs seized by other arms of law enforcement. And there is a standard protocol for such transfer. This we duly followed. The suspects and drugs were delivered to us on February 8 but the last part of the process, yet to be completed, is the debriefing of Kyari,” said the NDLEA spokesperson at the press briefing.
He added: “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.”
“Let me give a synopsis of what transpired. The saga started on Friday, January 21, 2022, when DCP Kyari initiated a call to one of the NDLEA officers in Abuja at 2:12 pm,” the NDLEA spokesperson said.
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“When the officer returned the call two minutes later, Kyari informed him he was coming to see him, to discuss an operational matter after the Juma’at service.
“He appeared at the agreed venue of the meeting with the officer and went straight to the crux of the matter.
“This was it: His team had intercepted and arrested some traffickers that came into the country from Ethiopia with, according to him, 25kg of cocaine. He proposed a drug deal whereby he and his team are to take 15kg of the cocaine and leave 10kg for the prosecution of the suspects arrested with the illicit drug in Enugu.
“In the meantime, the purloined cocaine will be replaced with a dummy worth 15kg. He asked the NDLEA officer to persuade men of the FCT Command to play along as well.
“Now, anybody who is in touch with the reality of the renewed drug war by NDLEA since January 18, 2021, would know that that was a tall order because our officers and men have rededicated themselves to the war against illicit drugs and what Kyari was asking for was not tenable, not in this new dispensation, not with the new NDLEA.
“Well, I am not here to wash his dirty linen in public. But I want us to understand how we arrive at this juncture whereby we are having this press briefing.
“NDLEA has the mandate to take custody of suspects and consignments of drugs seized by other arms of law enforcement.
“And there is a standard protocol for such transfer. This we duly followed. The suspects and drugs were delivered to us on February 8 but the last part of the process, yet to be completed, is the debriefing of Kyari.
“Gentlemen of the press, DCP Abba Kyari was invited by NDLEA for debriefing on Thursday February 10 through two main channels because there are a whole lot of questions begging for answers.
“The invitation was legitimate and formal according to our protocol. But up till the close of office hours on Friday, February 11, he refused to respond. Up till this moment, he hasn’t responded.
“We are a law-abiding agency of the government. We follow due process. In that vein, we will not detain suspects beyond the stipulated period according to the law before we charge them to court. And Kyari must be debriefed before the suspects are arraigned in court.
“Having failed to honour the official invitation, NDLEA has no option but to declare DCP Abba Kyari of the Nigerian Police WANTED, right from this very moment.”
