Following the recommendation of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the suspension of the Head, Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, over his alleged involvement in the $1.1 million fraud by a notorious fraudster, Ramon Abbass, popularly called Hushpuppi.
The commission also directed the IGP to furnish it with information on outcome of the four-man panel instituted to investigate the head of IRT.
In a statement on Sunday by its Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, the Commission hinted that Kyari’s suspension took effect from Saturday, July 31st 2021 and that further action on the penalty already imposed on him would be determined by outcome of ongoing investigations.
Part of the statement reads: “The Commission’s decision which was conveyed in a letter with reference, PSC/POL/D/153/vol/V/138 to the Inspector General of Police today, Sunday, August 1st, 2021, was signed by Hon. Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Honourable Commissioner 1 in the Commission for the Commission’s Chairman, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector General of Police who is currently on leave”.
FirstNews had reported that Baba recommended the immediate suspension of Abba Kyari, a DCP over his indictment in a $1.1 million fraud.
A statement on Sunday, August 1, by the Nigerian Police Force spokesman, Frank Mba, said that the IGP made the recommendation to the Police Service Commission in a July 31 letter.
Mba said, “The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc has recommended the immediate suspension of DCP Abba Kyari, the Head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), from the Service of the Nigeria Police Force, pending the outcome of an ongoing internal investigations touching on him.”
He added that the suspension is meant to create an enabling environment for the NPF Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to carry out its internal investigations.
The statement read, ”The suspension is without prejudice to the constitutional presumption of innocence in favour of the officer.
“The SIP comprising four senior police officers, is headed by DIG Joseph Egbunike, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department.
“The SIP, inter alia, is to undertake a detailed review of all the allegations against DCP Abba Kyari by the US Government as contained in relevant documents that have been availed the NPF by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“The SIP is also to obtain detailed representation of DCP Abba Kyari to all the allegations levelled against him, conduct further investigations as it deems fit, and submit recommendations to guide further actions by the Force leadership on the matter.”