It is not always advisable to hastily react when one is accused of any wrongdoing. This is what happened in the case of the suspended Commander of the police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), DCP Abba Kyari.
Kyari came under fire after Ramon Abbas, the self-confessed international fraudster better known as Hushpuppi, who is being tried in the US, alleged that he bribed the officer to arrest one Vincent Chibuzo, a co-fraudster.
Immediately the news broke, Kyari rushed to release a statement on his social handles narrating how he only connected the socialite to a fabric dealer whom Hushpuppi paid about N300,000. His response was the most unintelligent piece an intelligence officer can ever drop. Perhaps he thought like every issue in the country, the matter would be quickly swept under the carpet as it broke.
Having seen the overwhelming evidence against him, the senior police officer has removed the part where he said Hushpuppi sent N300,000 for clothes, saying the Instagram celebrity only called his office about two years ago that somebody in Nigeria “threatened to kill his family here”.
The suspect, Kyari said, was trailed and arrested, but after investigation, they discovered there was no actual threat to anyone’s life and “they are long-time friends who have money issues between them hence we released the suspect on bail”.
He also said his office was reached a second time to help recover N8 million.
“Nobody demanded or collected any money from Abbas Hushpuppi. He can be interviewed publicly in the presence of the world media by the people holding him to confirm this,” Kyari wrote in the new post.
“He also called for another case in June 2020 and complained about a financial transaction with a second person whom he said his friend sent N8 million to and pleaded for his friend’s money to be recovered. He sent transaction slips and other evidences to prove their case against the person.
“All these can be verified from the Hushpuppi since he is still in custody. And it can be verified from person who collected 8 million naira from Hushpuppi’s friend whom they complained about is alive and is in Nigeria.”
Coming from a high-ranking police officer in the calibre of Kyari, who is touted as super cop in the country, not a few Nigerians expressed their disappointment. They believe that he should know better that this is clearly an after-thought. He should have carefully weighed his comments before reacting. Who knows what he would say next.