Abba Kyari: Onwusoanya alarms Nigerians on probe panel, says case will decide how seriously Buhari’s fight against grafts and reforms within police force are

By Chijindu Emeruwa

A chieftain of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Jones Onwusoanya, has expressed dissatisfaction with the probe of a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari,by a panel constituted by the Police Service Commission on allegations of fraud leveled against him by the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

This was even as the Attorney General of the federation, Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) debunked reports that his office had absolved DCP Abba Kyari of any wrongdoing in the $1.1 million internet fraud deal.

Our correspondent reports that Nigeria Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), had declared Abba Kyari wanted for involvement in transnational illicit drug trafficking.

On the backdrops of criminal allegations against the suspended police officer, the Nigeria Police responded by arresting DCP Kyari and handed him over to the NDLEA, alongside four other accomplices who are all members of the dreaded IGP-IRT team, and ordered their investigation by a panel headed by the now deceased DIG Joseph Egbunike.

But expressing displeasure on the probe as constituted by the Nigeria Police Service Commission, Onwusoanya, who was also former Publicity Secretary of the Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in a statement issued on Tuesday, regretted that about six months after Kyari was suspended, nothing was heard of the investigation.

According to him, “It appeared with the NDLEA twist to the matter, that the super cop was still carrying out operations on behalf of IRT. Why the NDLEA not provided a convincing rebuttal to the allegations by the police over the involvement of their men in shielding drug traffickers, especially, this particular syndicate that was bursted by Abba Kyari’s team?

“Assuming the NDLEA’s denial of that allegation is anything to go by, what explanation have they given as to why these drug peddlers had almost succeeded in escaping capture, even when there were officials of the NDLEA manning the airport and screening or supposedly screening both outward and inbound passengers? Has the NDLEA told us any reason or the technology adopted by this particular set of drug traffickers to evade suspicion?

He also queried, “Had the Abba Kyari failed to intercept these guys and their illicit consignment, would the NDLEA had been right in their constant claims about improved surveillance against drug traffickers? Why is no official of the NDLEA answering questions over either complicity or negligence over this case?

Continuing, Onwusoanya further questioned, “Why is it taking forever to come up with a report on the almost unending investigation on Abba Kyari? Is Abba Kyari still receiving salaries from the Nigerian police force since this investigation started? What happened to DIG Egbunike and what was his level of involvement in trying to shield or delay the investigation? How complicit was he in the atrocities of Abba Kyari and his IRT team?

“The world is watching us and the handling of this matter will go a long way in deciding how seriously the purported fight against corruption and acclaimed reforms within the Police force, are”, he concluded.