Hushpuppi: Police Service Commission sets up panel to probe Abba Kyari

The Police Service Commission has set up a panel to probe the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.

Kyari, a former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force, was suspended after an indictment by the FBI over bribery allegations linked to suspected billionaire fraudster, Abbas Ramon, also known as Hushpuppi.

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Daily Trust reports that after his suspension, he was probed by a Police Investigative Panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba.

The panel was headed by Joseph Egbunike, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police.

However, a fresh panel which was set up by the PSC is being headed by Bar. Tijani Mohammed, Director, Department of Police Discipline in the Commission and the Panel has been inaugurated by the Permanent Secretary/ Secretary to the Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Ismaila.

According to a statement issued by the spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, the new panel is expected to examine the facts of the allegations as contained in the FBI indictment.

The new panel will also to look at the extant rules as a ”means of keeping abreast of the matter” pending the submission of the report by the Police Investigative Panel.

Ani also said the probe panel has as its terms of reference; to gather and document relevant information on Kyari in view of his disciplinary matter and to analyze the information gathered and make appropriate recommendation(s) to the Commission.

The statement read, ”The report of the in-house panel is expected to assist the commission take an informed decision when the Police Investigative Panel Report is submitted for the Commission’s consideration.

”The Commission had earlier suspended DCP Kyari, former Head, Intelligence Response Team, IRT, of the Nigeria Police Force. The suspension which took effect from Saturday, July 31st, 2021, according to the Commission is to subsist pending the outcome of the investigation in respect of his indictment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States.”

The commission also directed the Inspector-General of Police to furnish it with information on further development on the matter.