A top source in the EFCC who spoke with SaharaReporters however said no arrest can be made by the agency since Kyari is a police officer and that the case was not within the capacity of the EFCC but for the police to handle.

the source in the EFCC said “FBI has contacted EFCC, asking that we arrest Abba Kyari but we told them that it is a police matter”

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police has ordered an internal review of all the allegations levelled against Kyari by Hushpuppi.

The suspected internet fraudster who was arrested in Dubai in June 2020 allegedly told the FBI that he gave a bribe to Kyari to facilitate the arrest and imprisonment of a member of his online fraud gang identified as Chibuzo Vincent. Kyari has however denied this allegation.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Abba Kyari, a high-ranking Nigerian police officer who has received multiple honours, was one of six people indicted over an elaborate scheme to defraud a Qatari businessperson of more than $1 million, masterminded by celebrity fraudster, Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas.

The FBI revealed this in an affidavit issued before the United States District Court by a Special Agent with the FBI, Andrew John Innocenti. The FBI said that Kyari abandoned his duties in Nigeria sometime in 2019 and flew to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, to “enjoy a good time” with Hushpuppi, who lived at Palazzo Versace in the Emirati commercial capital.

The FBI special agent said Huspuppi appeared to have first interacted with Mr Kyari during the police officer’s trip to Dubai in September 2019.

He said conversations between them showed that Hushpuppi sent a car and a driver to drive Mr Kyari around in Dubai.

“Soon thereafter, KYARI sent ABBAS a video slideshow which showed some personal photographs of KYARI, some of which appeared to have been taken in the U.A.E,” Mr Innocenti added.

He said further that later in September “after KYARI sent ABBAS an article that discussed him arresting alleged kidnappers, ABBAS wrote, in part, to KYARI, ‘Am really happy to be ur boy,’ and later, ‘I promise to be a good boy to u sir’.”

FBI Special Agent, Innocenti, said in the court documents: “I reviewed online articles about KYARI, which indicated that KYARI is an Inspector General of the Police’s Intelligence Response Team and a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Nigeria. KYARI previously managed the Special Anti- Robbery Squad, commonly known as SARS, as the Officer-In-Charge for several years. Articles referred to KYARI as a ‘super cop’ of the Nigeria Police Force, and described him as ‘The Most Decorated Officer In The History Of The Nigerian Police.’

“KYARI has been awarded many accolades, including recognition for his performance by the Nigerian House of Representatives in June 2020, which KYARI informed ABBAS of via the news article discussed above.

“I also reviewed other articles, from October and November 2020, which indicated that KYARI had been accused of falsely arresting and extorting a businessman in Lagos. Based on those articles, KYARI’s work, in general, appears to have related primarily to kidnapping cases, and I did not see any articles suggesting that KYARI worked on fraud cases.

“Finally, I have reviewed a certified NIV application submitted by ABBA ALHAJI KYARI, in April 2019. This application included one of the aforementioned phone numbers (0909999****) that KYARI used to communicate with ABBAS, as well as a date of birth in March of 1975, and KYARI’s Nigerian passport number ending in 3677. The NIV application also included the following photograph, which is consistent with the other photographs of KYARI shown above:

“Based on messages I reviewed, ABBAS appears to have first interacted with KYARI in September 2019, when KYARI travelled to the U.A.E. The conversation indicated that ABBAS sent a car and driver to drive KYARI during that trip. Soon thereafter, KYARI sent ABBAS a video slideshow which showed some personal photographs of KYARI, some of which appeared to have been taken in the U.A.E. Later in September, after KYARI sent ABBAS an article that discussed him arresting alleged kidnappers, ABBAS wrote, in part, to KYARI, ‘Am really happy to be ur boy,’ and later, ‘I promise to be a good boy to u, sir,'” the affidavit read.

Otis Wright of the United States District Court for the Central District of California ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to a police officer, Abba Kyari, and produce him in the United States for his alleged role in a $1.1 million fraud.

US court documents showed that American prosecutors first sought a court warrant to arrest Kyari on February 12, 2021.

Another warrant was requested on April 29, 2021.

It was further gathered that Judge Wright’s permission for the FBI to arrest Kyari and hold him in US custody was unsealed on July 26, 2021.

In one of the court documents released by the FBI, it was alleged that Kyari received a bribe from Hushpuppi to facilitate the arrest and imprisonment of a member of his online fraud gang identified as Chibuzo Vincent.

The police force in a statement released by its spokesperson, Frank Mba, says the police boss has now ordered an internal review of the allegations. The force says it is committed to the pursuit of justice and strengthening of professional relationships with the FBI. The force also promised to avail the public of developments as the case unfolds.

Read the statement below “Following the receipt of allegation and indictment processes from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) against one of the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, DCP Abba Kyari in the Hushpuppi scam ongoing investigation into the Inspector General of Police IGP Usman Alkali Baba psc (+), NPM, fdc has ordered an internal review of the allegations. The Nigeria Police Force reaffirms its commitment to the pursuit of justice and the strengthening of its professional relationship with the FBI and other international partners. Further developments on this case will be communicated to members of the public accordingly”