NIGERIA and the United States Government are discussing the possible extradition of the suspended Head of the Police Intelligence Response Team, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, over an alleged role in a $1m scam allegedly perpetrated by Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi and five others.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), disclosed this on Monday while featuring on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme monitored in Abuja by National Record.
The Minister, to whom the police authorities have transmitted its findings for “legal opinion,” also stated that reasonable grounds for suspicion have been established against Kyari.
“It is an issue that has international and national dimensions. Actions have been taken, it is a work in progress, locally and internationally and we are doing whatever it takes to ensure justice is done within the context of the law regardless of the personalities that are involved.
“When criminality is involved, Nigeria and the US naturally work together when there are elements of the offences that have taken place in the diverse jurisdictions. So, Nigeria is doing the needful by way of supporting what America is doing for the purpose of ensuring that the cases are tried accordingly within the American context of it. And then, eventually, if there is a need for local prosecution, nothing stops it,” Malami said
He added: “There are a lot of issues that are ongoing, including the possibility of consideration for extradition. That is where the collaboration element of it comes into play.” Asked if a request for Kyari’s extradition had been made by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), he said, “There could be a need or perhaps the possibility of making such a request. As far as I am concerned, the parties are discussing, the parties are collaborating, there are exchanges of correspondence from the perspective of investigation, from the perspective of extradition, and associated things.
“Reasonable grounds for suspicion have been established and that will eventually translate to the possibility of prosecution and conviction if indeed one is adjudged guilty by the law.”
The United States Attorney’s Office at the Central District of California had ordered the FBI to arrest Kyari almost a year ago.
Kyari had taken to Facebook on July 29, 2021, to deny the allegations, but he later deleted the post after severally editing it. The Inspector-General of Police had recommended the suspension of Kyari, which the Police Service Commission carried out on July 31, 2021.
The police boss had on August 2, 2021, constituted the Special Investigation Panel headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Joseph Egbunike, to probe the allegations. The findings of the probe panel had been transmitted to the AGF office, which is responsible for matters regarding extradition, repatriation and transfer of suspects or wanted persons.
