Abba Kyari faces 24 fresh charges as he is docked for not disclosing 14 properties and large cash sums

EMBATTED former deputy police commissioner Abba Kyari has had 14 highly priced assets and the sums of N207m ($488,870) and Є17,598 confiscated by the federal government and 24 fresh charges filed against him for failing to disclose them.

On July 31, 2021, Mr Kyari was suspended by the Police Service Commission after the FBI indicted him for his alleged role in a $1m scam perpetrated by Internet fraudster Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi. According to the US FBI, Hushpuppi paid Mr Kyari N8m or $20,600 to arrest and detain co-conspirator Chibuzor Vincent for threatening to expose their scam.

To make matters worse for Mr Kyari, on February 14 this year, he was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over his alleged links with an international drug cartel. According to the NDLEA, Mr Kyari is a member of a cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria pipeline.

Things have now got progressively worse for Mr Kyari as the federal government has uncovered 14 assets, including shopping malls, residential estate, polo playground, land and farmland belonging him.  Mr Kyari, the former commander of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team,  was said to have failed to disclose his ownership of the properties in the Federal Capital Territory and Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Over N207m and Є17,598 were also discovered in his various accounts in Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa and Sterling Bank. In the fresh 24-count charges filed against Mr Kyari by the director of Prosecution and Legal Services, the attorney-general of the federation stated that he disguised his ownership of some of the properties.

Co-defendants in the case include Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari, who are believed to be the beleaguered policeman’s siblings. Also, the federal government filed separate 24-count charges against Mr Kyari’s former deputy, Sunday Ubua, an assistant commissioner of police, who is also currently under suspension.

According to the federal government, Mr Kyari knowingly failed to make full disclosure of his asset at plot no 1927 Blue Fountain Estate, Karsana, Abuja and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 35(3)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Also, the prosecutor alleged that the embattled policeman did not declare his ownership of an estate at Linda Chaulker Road, Asokoro Extension.

In addition, Mr Kyari is also charged with failing to reveal his ownership of a shopping mall and a polo playground in Maiduguri. Furthermore, the charges also said he did not make full disclosure of his ownership of farmland along Abuja-Kaduna road and a plaza under construction in Guzape, Abuja.