The fall of Instagram Billionaire’s Police Ally, Abba Kyari

Nigeria’s supercop Abba Kyari has finally met his doom after covering and engaging in many illegal activities as a "protector of the law."

Kyari first came into the scandalous picture, following the arrest of Instagram Nigerian billionaire, Hushpuppi – a self-acclaimed “Prince of Cash and Flash”. Last year, the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California issued a warning for the arrest warrant of Kyari and five others believed to have been actively involved in Hushpuppi’s scams, who pleaded guilty to the charges against him and has been sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Despite the US appeal to extradite the former police boss, the Nigerian government stalled the process to run their own investigations on the matter. Kyari was earlier suspended by the Nigerian police while investigations proceeded. This was the case for a while until the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dropped a bombshell on Kyari last week.

The allegations against Abba Kyari are:

1.     Conspiracy

2.     Drug Deal

3.     Tampering with drugs, evidence

4.     Distribution and sale of cocaine

5.     Influenced law enforcement officer

Kyari’s recent arrest was directly linked to aiding and abetting drug pushing, according to the allegations against him. He was arrested and taken into custody by the anti-drug trafficking agency on Monday. He allegedly spearheaded the trafficking of 25kg cocaine which his department seized from a drug cartel that operates within the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illegal pipeline.

Evidence provided by the NDLEA indicates that the former commander, Intelligence Response Team may be jailed for life if found guilty of allegations against him. He was reportedly caught on camera for handing over $61,400 in cash to compromise the agency's operative. He was invited for questioning on February 10 but failed to show up or even respond, according to the NDLEA.

Following his arrest, the police handed over Kyari to the NDLEA at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force.

To the surprise of many, Kyari went ahead to retrieve the drugs from the evidence room and sold them at intervals with help from his accomplices. In 2020, Kyari was honored by the House of Representatives after he became a celebrity cop for his daring efforts in crime-fighting. Things have seemed to turn a 360 degree to a life of crime for the deputy commissioner of the Nigerian police.

The long-dubbed celebrity cop grew more famous in the media for his heroic and crime-busting skills as he headed the Nigerian police intelligence team. He lived a socialite lifestyle above his means as a police officer. He lived a life of glitz and glamour, posting pictures of himself with other celebrities, music stars, and billionaire business people in the high Nigerian society. Although Kyari was praised for his many intelligence and crime-busting breakthroughs, has also been accused of abusing citizens' rights which he blatantly denied.

Kyari who was fond of eagerly sharing his crime-busting successes across his social media accounts, from netting kidnappers, armed robbers, ritualists, and other notorious criminals; has found himself in the same net as the people he sent behind bars.

Who is Abba Kyari?

DSP Abba Kyari is a Nigerian celebrity cop known for his daring expeditions in crime-fighting. He joined the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) in 2000 as a cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). He got promoted to DCP in 2018, before which he served as the Officer-In-Charge of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at the Lagos Police Command. The disbanded unit was known for its extreme human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings which provoked a nationwide protest in October 2020.