The Police Service Commission (PSC) is pushing for the immediate dismissal and prosecution of disgraced Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari.
Recall that the former commander of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) was suspended from office on August 1, 2021, following his indictment by the FBI for allegedly conniving with internet fraudster Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, to defraud a Qatari businessman.
The supercop was accused of collecting $1 million to arrest and detain another member of the criminal syndicate for several weeks who was at loggerheads with Hushpuppi.
According to two sources and internal memos, the PSC warned that if Abba Kyari is not properly disciplined he could jeopardize the reputation of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
“Allowing somebody who has embarrassed the country to keep a high-ranking position in the police could further compound our problems as a nation,” a top official told The Gazette.
It was gathered that panellists at PSC gave the Inspector-General, Alkali Baba Usman, two weeks to come up with a better report or the PSC would be forced to take decisive action.
“The IGP recommended demotion of Abba Kyari from DCP [deputy police commissioner] to ACP [assistant police commissioner] and this led to the anger of the PSC,” another source at the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department revealed.
According to Peoples Gazette, IGP Usman had said in his report that Kyari should be given another chance to redeem himself because he had “won many medals”, “positively projected the image of the NPF”.
Acknowledging Abba Kyari’s strides, the PSC panel said his infractions as to Hushpuppi’s criminal activities were too weighty to be swept under the rug.
“Nothing short of his dismissal and prosecution will be acceptable to the commission,” an official said. “The IG has been asked to go and do the right thing by recommending his dismissal and prosecution or everything will be forced on him.”