By Tope Alake The head of the Nigeria Police Force has recommended the immediate suspension of a senior officer pending an investiga...
By Tope Alake
The head of the Nigeria Police Force has recommended the
immediate suspension of a senior officer pending an investigation into U.S.
charges against him for aiding an Instagram influencer’s scam to steal more
than $1 million.
“The suspension is expected to create an enabling
environment” to carry out the probe without interference, Inspector General of
Police Usman Baba said in an emailed statement Sunday. A four-member special
investigation panel comprised of senior police officers has been set up to
review allegations against Abba Kyari by the U.S. government.
Earlier: U.S. Charges Nigeria Counter-Terror Cop in
#Hushpuppi Heist
The panel is also “to obtain detailed representation of
Kyari to all the allegations leveled against him, conduct further
investigations as it deems fit, and submit recommendations to guide further
actions by the force leadership on the matter,” according to the statement.
Kyari, who is a deputy police commissioner, heads Nigeria’s
Intelligence Response Team, the unit that tracks suspected kidnappers and
terrorists.
A grand jury indicted Kyari and five others April 29 for
conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. U.S. prosecutors accused
Kyari of imprisoning one of the charged individuals at the request of Instagram
influencer Ramon Abbas to prevent him from interfering in a then-ongoing fraud,
the documents show.
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