Hushpuppi: Probe Panel Submits Damning Report On Kyari To IGP

The Report of the Special Investigation Panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba two weeks ago, to probe the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyrai, was submitted on Monday.

The embattled and suspended DCP Kyari is under investigation for his alleged involvement in a $1.1m Internet fraud allegedly committed by an Instagram influencer, Abbas Ramon, popularly known as Hushpuppi and four others accomplices namely; AbdulRahman Juma (Abdul); Vincent Kelly Chibuzor (Kelly); Rukayat Motunrayo Fashola (Morayo); and Bolatito Agbabiaka (Bolamide).

It was gathered that the four-man panel headed by the Deputy Inspector -General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Joseph Egbunike, submitted its second Report and findings to the IGP on Monday.

The submission of the second Report followed the rejection of the first Report earlier submitted by the panel on the premise that its recommendation fell below standard based on circumstantial evidence against the embattled Kyari.

Following the rejection of the first Report, the panel took a closer look at the allegations leveled against Kyari as documented by the FBI and gave a damning recommendation that is directed at nailing suspended DCP Kyari, who is still insisting that he is innocent of the accusations.

This was as it was gathered that the SIP sessions with Kyari were conducted in a relaxed atmosphere thereby gave him the confidence of a possible soft landing over the allegations.

It further gathered that DIG Egbunike and Kyari had a long term relationship since the former was an Assistant Commissioner of Police in the police Accounts Department where he served for several years.

The United States Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, had issued an arrest warrant on Kyari for his alleged links to the arrested internet fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, who is standing trial for various offences particularly money laundering.

The suspected fraudster Hushpuppi has already pleaded guilty to the charges and id most likely going to serve a 20years jail term if convicted with three-year supervision upon completion of jail term, and monetary restitution to the tune of $500,000 or more.

IGP Baba had on August 1, 2021, recommended the immediate suspension of DCP Kyari to the Police Service Commission, with effect from July 31, and accordingly, set up the Special Investigation Panel to investigate the chains of allegations against him.

Forefront News gathered that throughout his appearance before the SIP, the suspended DCP Kyari, who appeared several times before the SIP, denied participating in the fraud even though he admitted that he lived a large life with a community of friends both locally and abroad.

Pointedly put, Kyari insisted that contrary to the allegations by the FBI, monies did not pass between him and Huspuppi.

It was however gathered that the SPI considered his defence as too weak to disentangle him from the allegations by the FBI even as the panel is being careful not to over push him too hard owing to possible interests both internal and external.

The FBI is insisting that Kyari detained Chibuzor at the instance of Hushpuppi for one month to enable the latter and his co-conspirators to fleece their Qatari victim of over $1m.

Following the development, the IG on August 1, 2021, recommended the suspension of the DCP to the Police Service Commission, with effect from July 31, and also set up the SIP to investigate the allegations against him.

Kyari was replaced as head of the IRT by DCP Tunji Disu.