Lifestyle

NDLEA arrests billionaire ‘drug baron’ implicated in Kyari’s N3bn tramadol deal

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday reported the arrest of a Nigerian “billionaire drug baron”.

The suspect is Mallinson Group Chairman Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Media Director, made this disclosure in a statement noting that Ukatu was involved in a N3 billion Tramadol deal involving the suspended Abba Kyari.

The IGP’s Intelligence Response Team was led by Kyari, a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (IRT).

After months of surveillance and escaping arrest, Ukatu was apprehended at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport in Ikeja.

NDLEA claimed Ukatu is a significant importer of big consignments of Tramadol Hydrochloride in various brands and high dosages, including 120mg, 200mg, 225mg, and 250mg.

Ukatu owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies, which he allegedly used as a cover to import illicit drugs into Nigeria.

“This is in addition to operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money”, Babafemi said.

Na femi explained that Ukatu was placed under surveillance in 2021, a year after his crew was seized with five cartons of Tramadol 225mg on May 4, 2021.

He’d sent them to Lagos to sell to undercover cops (unknown to Ukatu) from the then-Kyari-led IRT.

The price of a carton of Tramadol was negotiated at N17 million each, compared to the black market value of N18 million to N20million for each carton at the time.

Following the arrest of Ukatu’s employees, Pius Enidom and Sunday Ibekwete, Kyari’s men were led to Mallinson’s warehouse in Ojota, Lagos, where the IRT confiscated 197 more cartons of Tramadol 225mg.

Lifestyle

Police denies recalling Kyari from suspension

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The Nigerian Police Force on Sunday denied recalling the suspended Head of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari.

Reports had said Kyari who was suspended by the police authorities on August 1 over his indictment for alleged link with the suspended fraudster, Ramon Abass aka Hushpuppi, had been recalled.

The United States District Court for the Central District of California had in July issued a warrant of arrest on Kyari and five others over an alleged link with the suspected fraudster.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alleged that the police officer collected money from Hushpuppi to detain one of his partners in Nigeria.

In a brief chat with journalists in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, described reports on the police officer’s recall as unfounded.

Politics

Court dismisses move to stop Kyari’s extradition to US

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The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday dismissed an application seeking to restrain the Federal Government from extraditing the suspended Head of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, to the United States.

A group simply known as the Incorporated Trustees of Northern Peace Foundation filed the application through its team of lawyers led by Dr. Olukayode Ajulo on August 9.

It urged the court to grant the temporary order of injunction against the Nigeria Police Force and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive suit.

However, after carefully listening to the lawyer, Justice Ahmed Mohammed refused to grant the request to stop Kyari’s arrest and extradition to the US.

He told the lawyer to turn the ex-parte motion to motion on notice and serve same on the police and AGF.

The judge directed the applicant to serve all court processes in respect of the case on the two respondents and adjourned hearing in the matter till September 9.

Kyari was suspended by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, in July over his indictment by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a $1.1 million fraud involving suspected fraudster, Abbas Ramon aka Hushpuppi and four others.

The US District Court for the Central District of California had also issued a warrant of arrest for Kyari and ordered the FBI to initiate a move for his extradition to the US.

Politics

Probe panel yet to submit findings on Kyari – Police

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The police on Monday night dismissed reports that the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) set up by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, to investigate the bribery allegation against the suspended Head of the Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, has submitted its findings on the matter.

The IGP set up the panel two weeks ago to probe Kyari over his alleged involvement in a $1.1 million fraud by suspected fraudster, Abbas Ramon aka Hushpuppi, and four others.

The four-man panel is headed by the Deputy Inspector -General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Joseph Egbunike.

There were reports that the team submitted its findings to the IGP on Monday.

However, in a statement posted on its verified Facebook page on Tuesday night and signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, the police urged Nigerians to disregard the reports.

The statement read: “The Nigeria Police Force wishes to inform the general public that the probe into the alleged indictment of DCP Abba Kyari by the FBI, being conducted by the NPF Special Investigation Panel (SIP), is still ongoing.

“Members of the public are enjoined to note that the panel has not submitted its report to the Inspector-General of Police as being wrongly reported in some news outlet and online platforms.

“The Force hereby reassures the public that the outcome of investigations by the probe panel would be communicated accordingly upon conclusion of the investigations.”

Politics

NNPC to get a new name in six months —Kyari

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The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Mele Kyari has disclosed that plans are already on the way to transit to a new company in the next six months.

The move according to Kyari is in line with the newly enacted Petroleum Industry Act.

Speaking on ‘Arise News Night’ edition on Monday, the GMD noted that the provision of the new Act states clearly that the NNPC be transformed to a company that will operate under the Companies and Allied Matters Act.

“The meaning of this is that the company will be another privately owned company in a sense, it will pay taxes, pay royalties and pay dividend to its shareholders.

This is not the situation today, because the Corporation has no such obligation, this means that it has stall its growth, its development and prosperity, but with the bill, it means that within six months, a new company will be incorporated,” he said.

He further explained that all liabilities, personnel and assets of the NNPC, within the six months period will be transferred to the new company.

“Within 6 months you must incorporate the NNPC Nigeria limited by law, that means once you incorporate, there will automatically be process of transfer of assets, transfer of personnel and many others, the furthest that we can go while doing this is six months,” he added.

According to the GMD, the transition would promote a more efficient oil company, adding that the transition does not only affect NNPC but all institutions under the PIB.

The government has established a structure and implementation committee to ensure a smooth transition from where we are today, not just NNPC but every institution under the Petroleum Industry Act, and there will be a system and framework that will take care of the transition,” he said.

He further disclosed that with the tremendous growth recorded in the Corporation in the last two years, the financial position of the corporation has moved from a negative position to a positive position, assuring that the company will not declare any loss this year.

“I am very happy and fulfilled that this company is doing very great today, it’s financial position has moved from a negative position of N800bn in 2018 to less than N2bn in 2019, I can tell you that this company will not declare any loss this year.

The law has provided that the company will have to transit to a new company, when this company transit, I will consult my family to see if I will have to apply for a job.

“Once the NNPC limited is incorporated, it is the choice of the owners of the company to decide who runs it and it will be my choice to decide if I will apply for a new job,” he said.

Politics

31 Northern lawyers offer to defend Kyari

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At least 31 lawyers from the Northern part of Nigeria on Wednesday declared their intention to defend the suspended Head of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, following his indictment by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for alleged link with the suspected fraudster, Ramon Abass aka Hushpuppi.

Barr. Bappah Salisu, who spoke on behalf of a group of lawyers drawn from the 19 Northern states in the country, said in a statement in Abuja, his colleagues had agreed to provide free legal services to Kyari.

He said the decision was in response to the recent call by the Coalition of Northern Group (CNG) on the matter.

Salisu said there were several procedural lapses in the FBI attempt to extradite the police officer to the US to face criminal charges.

He said: “We would raise questions involving the possibility of breaches to Kyari’s fundamental rights entrenched in Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights which essentially states that every individual shall have the right to liberty and to the security of his person and every individual shall have the right to have his cause heard.

“This comprises the right to an appeal to competent national organs against acts of violating his fundamental rights as recognized and guaranteed by conventions, laws, regulations, and customs in force.

“The right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty by a competent court or tribunal; the right to defence, including the right to be defended by counsel of his choice; the right to be tried within a reasonable time by an impartial court or tribunal.”

Politics

HURIWA urges Nigerian govt to cooperate with FBI on Kyari

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The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Sunday urged the Federal Government to cooperate with the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in order to unravel the fraud allegations against the Head of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari.

The group made the call in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.

HURIWA said Nigeria risks being tagged a pariah state if the federal government fails to cooperate with the US on the matter.

The statement read: “We mustn’t behave like a pariah state by failing to cooperate or partner with the United States of America in this and many other matters.

“We warn that this Abba Kyari’s matter is purely a diplomatic matter and not a matter that should be looked upon with the binoculars of Ethnic and religious prisms.

It’s our international image as Nigerians that is at the risk of being bastardised should President Muhammadu Buhari not follow the international law in handling this matter instead of looking at it from an Arewa or Islamic point of view.”

The US Department of Justice had said in a document last week that the police officer allegedly received bribes from the suspected international fraudster, Ramon Abass aka Hushpuppi, to arrest one of his accomplices in Nigeria, Kelly Chibuzo Vincent.

However, Kyari had denied receiving any bribe from the suspected fraudster.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) had earlier on Sunday approved the police officer’s suspension over an alleged link with Hushpuppi who is standing trial for frauds in the US.

Politics

IGP suspends Kyari as four-man special investigation panel begins probe

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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, 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.

Kyari had been in the news after a US court directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation to arrest and detain him over links to an internet fraudster, Abbas Akande, also known as Hushpuppi and his role in an alleged internet fraud of about $1.1 million.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba, disclosed Kyari’s suspension in a statement on Sunday, saying that the IGP, in his letter to the Police Service Commission, on Saturday 31st July, noted that his recommendation for Kyari’s suspension is in line with the internal disciplinary processes of the Force.

It would be recalled that Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi, a Nigerian alleged internet fraudster, who is currently facing trial in the United States for internet crimes had indicted Kyari.

Hushpuppi who was arrested in Dubai and extradited to the United States had allegedly told a US court that he bribed Kyari to arrest and jail an associate of his, Chibuzo Vincent, after the $1.1 million deal went wrong.

However, in a statement on his Facebook page, Kyari admitted that Hushpuppi actually sent N300,000 to him, saying it was not a bribe but money meant for some clothes he (Hushpuppi) wanted to buy from his (Kyari’s) designer.

Officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had also reportedly met with the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to discuss Kyari’s extradition to the United States, after the US District Court for the Central District of California issued a warrant of arrest for him and ordered the FBI to take action to extradite him to the US.

According to Mba, the IGP said the suspension would create an enabling environment for the NPF Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to carry out its investigations into the weighty allegations against Kyari without interference.

He explained that 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 the Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG Joseph Egbunike, who is in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID).

“The SIP, inter alia, is to undertake a detailed review of all the allegations against Kyari by the US Government as contained in relevant documents that have been availed the NPF by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“The SIP is also to obtain a detailed representation of 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.

Meanwhile, the IGP has reaffirmed the commitment of the Force to the Rule of Law and assured the public of the sanctity of the probe as well as the absolute respect for the rights and privileges of the officer throughout the period of the investigations”.

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