Kyari mounts fresh defence, dares FBI, media to ask certain questions

Suspended CP Abba Kyari has made fresh defence, the latest of the instances he’s been walking back his words since the news of his alleged complicity in a cyber-fraud case involving UAE based Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi hit the media.

It was reported August 2 Kyari collected N8 million in bribe from Hushpuppi, following his own initial admission the fraudster merely sent him N300,000 for transfer to a fashion designer.

Now he has not only denied both; he has edited and ultimately deleted the social media posts where he made the claims.

The media reports were extracted from the affidavit the FBI Special Agent Andrew Innocenti presented in court, with which a warrant was issued for Kyari’s arrest.

Apparently, both parties—the media and the suspect—are exploiting gaps in the FBI affidavit to make points.

It was not clearly stated Kyari was the recipient of the $20,000 (N8 million). But the transactions came from one of Hushpuppi’s partners in crime.

“On May 20, 2020, ABBAS sent KYARI transaction receipts for two transactions from accounts at Nigerian banks (GTBank and Zenith Bank) of a person ABBAS knew in the U.A.E.—a person also arrested with ABBAS in ABBAS’ apartment in the U.A.E. by Dubai Police on June 9, 2020,” the FBI agent stated.

The money was sent into …”—to the Nigerian bank accounts of another person in Nigeria”.

Whoever that person was, Innocenti didn’t reveal it in his report. But the amount was stated.

“The amounts on the transaction receipts totaled 8 million Nigerian Naira, which was approximately $20,600 based on publicly available exchange rate information.”

Kyari and the media now argue over this. While the media plugs the gap in Innocenti’s report, Kyari also seized it, and made himself and the IGP team he headed Hushpuppi’s debt collector.

“Nobody demanded or collected any money from Abbas Hushpuppi. He can be interviewed Publicly in the Presence of world media by the people holding him to confirm this,” Kyari said in his latest Facebook post.

He said Hushpuppi also called for another case in June 2020, complaining about a financial transaction with a second person whom he said his friend sent N8 million naira to.

“He sent transaction slips and other evidence to prove their case against the person.”

In other words, the police boss moved the IGP team in, and recovered the debt. No question asked.

“All these can be verified from the Hushpuppi since he is still in custody,” Kyari added.

“And it can be verified from the person who collected the 8 million naira from Hushpuppi’s friend whom they complained about is alive and is in Nigeria.”

In the affidavit, the FBI has yet to categorically pin Kyari, who many dub Nigeria’s most decorated cop, down to the cyber-fraud for which Hushpuppi has pleaded guilty.

“This affidavit is intended to show merely that there is sufficient probable cause for the requested complaint and arrest warrant, and does not purport to set forth all of my knowledge of the government’s investigation into this matter,” Innocenti stated.

The bureau has only been harping on how Kyari likely aided the fraudsters by arresting, on Hushpuppi’s request and inducement, a local member of the fraud ring who was about to open up to their Qatari victim.

In the document, Innocenti stated “KYARI’s knowing involvement in the scheme allowed ABBAS and JUMA to continue defrauding the Victim Businessperson undetected and receive money obtained from the Victim Businessperson after it was laundered”.