The Police Service Commission (PSC) Thursday announced the suspension of two officers working directly under the embattled ‘super cop’, Abba Kyari, before the arrest of the trio.
The two officers, Sunday Ubua, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and James Bawa, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, were working under the suspended Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Intelligence Response Team of the Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Force.
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They were also alleged to be involved in the current cocaine seizure and transfer to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The commission’s decision was contained in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, dated 16th February 2022 and signed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Commissioner 1 in the PSC, Justice Clara B. Ogunbiyi, on behalf of the chairman of the commission, Musiliu Smith.
The letter was titled ‘Re- Investigation into seizure and Transfer to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency of 25 kilogrammes of Cocaine by the Office of DCP, Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Department of Force Intelligence Bureau’.
The PSC said in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 030406, it had approved the suspension of the officers until the outcome of the investigation into the allegations levelled against them”.
The commission also directed the Inspector-General of Police to ‘’note also that DCP Abba Kyari, who prior to this allegation was on suspension, shall remain so until the conclusion of investigations”.
The PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, in a statement, said the IGP was requested to place on suspension, Inspector Simon Agrigba and Inspector John Nuhu in accordance with the Powers of Delegation.
“The IGP is further requested to inform the Commission of the arrest of ASP John Umoru who is currently at large whenever his arrest is effected to enable it take necessary action.
‘’The commission also directed the Inspector General of Police to furnish it with information on further development on the matter for necessary further action.
‘’The commission is in receipt of a copy of IGP’s letter on the subject matter with Reference number CB: 4099/FHQ/ABJ/Vol16/151 dated 14th February, 2022 and addressed to Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa rtd, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,’’ the statement read.
Also yesterday, the PSC said the investigative report submitted by the police on Kyari was replete with many loopholes and gaps.
The PSC had earlier ordered the Force to conduct a fresh probe with a different panel on Kyari and submit another report within two weeks over
PSC spokesman Ikechukwu Ani, in a telephone interview with Daily Trust yesterday, said the commission would take another decision if the loopholes were still in the new report.
It would be recalled that the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, had last set up a probe panel to investigate Kyari over allegations by the Federal Investigation Bureau in the United States that he (Kyari) had a link with the billionaire fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
The panel, led by Joseph Egbunike, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, had submitted its report to the IGP, which was later submitted to the PSC.
Not satisfied with the report, the PSC, at its last plenary, returned the report and ordered that the police set up a different panel to investigate the matter.
But responding to Daily Trust’s enquiry on whether the PSC had abandoned the first report, hence its resolve for new report, the commission said it had not jettisoned the report, saying the fresh probe panel was directed to fill all the loopholes in the report.
‘’Jettisoned? We’ve not jettisoned the report. We now said that they need to do more works, there are loopholes, there are gaps, that a new panel should handle it,” he said.
The acting Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, when contacted for reaction, told Daily Trust, via a text message, that he was out of Abuja.
Meanwhile, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said there is no going back on its resolve to prosecute Abba Kyari and all those involved in a 25 kilograms cocaine deal.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a phone chat with Daily Trust yesterday said as soon as the investigation was concluded, they would “definitely be charged to court.”
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