Hushpuppi: Police Service Commission Sets Up In-House Panel, Waits For Report On Kyari Abba

By Bello Usman

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has set up an in-house panel to study in details available documents relating to the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), of the Nigeria Police Force indicted by a Report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) of the United States.

The Panel is expected to examine the facts of the allegations as contained in the FBI indictment and also to look at the extant rules as a means of keeping abreast of the matter pending the submission of the Report by the Police Investigative Panel.

AtlanticNewsonline gathered that the Panel headed by Barr. Tijani Mohammed, Director, Department of Police Discipline in the Commission has as its terms of reference; to gather and document relevant information on DCP Abba Kyari in view of his disciplinary matter and to analyze the information gathered and make appropriate recommendation/s to the Commission.

The Panel which has been inaugurated by the Permanent Secretary/ Secretary to the Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Ismaila has started work while the Commission awaits the Report of the DIG Joseph Egbunike Police investigative Panel on the matter.

The Head, Press and Public Relations of the Commission, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani in a statement on Thursday said “the Report of the in-house Panel is expected to assist the Commission take an informed decision when the Police Investigative Panel Report is submitted for the Commission’s consideration.”

“The Commission had earlier suspended DCP Kyari, former Head, Intelligence Response Team, IRT, of the Nigeria Police Force. The suspension which took effect from Saturday, July 31st, 2021, according to the Commission is to subsist pending the outcome of the investigation in respect of his indictment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States.”

“The Commission had also directed the Inspector General of Police to furnish it with information on further development on the matter for necessary further action.”

It would be recalled that Kyari was named by Nigeria’s suspected internet fraudster Ramos Abbas (a.k.a. Hushpuppi) as having benefitted from the $1.1million scam done against a Dubai school owner by him (Hushpuppi) and his co-fraudsters. He reportedly made the revelation to the FBI which arrested him months ago in connection with the scam.