Nigeria’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has denied collecting $1.1million bribe from suspected fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, who recently pleaded guilty in the United States.
Hushpuppi, who pleaded guilty to various charges, including money laundering, wire fraud, and felony, among others, had said he used Kyari, a leader of the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team, to jail a fellow fraudster Kelly Chibuzor Vincent after both were locked in a dispute presumably over how to share the $1.1million loot received from the Qatari businessperson.
Vincent subsequently contacted the victim and informed them that they were being scammed by a syndicate involving him and Abbas, a US court document read.
Reacting in a Facebook post on Thursday, Kyari said he only assisted Hushpuppi to get native clothes and caps worth N300,000.
The police boss, however, admitted arresting Vincent but claimed he was released on bail to go and was not taken to any jail.
He wrote,
“Friends; Abbas, who we later came to know as Hushpuppi, called our office about two years ago that somebody in Nigeria seriously threatened to kill his family here in Nigeria and he sent the person’s phone number and pleaded we take action before the person attacks (sic) his family.
“We traced and arrested the suspect and after investigations we discovered there wasn’t an actual threat to anyone’s life and they are long-time friends who have (sic) money issues between them. Hence, we released the suspect on bail to go and he was not taken to any jail.
“Nobody demanded for a kobo from Abbas Hushpuppi. Our focus was to save people’s lives that were purported to have been threatened.
“Later, he saw some of my native clothes and caps on my social media page and he said he likes them and he was connected to the person selling the clothes and he sent about N300,000 directly to the person’s account. The native clothes and caps (5 sets) were brought to our office and he sent somebody to collect them in our office.
“Nobody demanded any money from Abbas Hushpuppi and nobody collected any money from him. We responded to a distress call he made on threat to his family and released the suspect when we discovered there was no life threat from the suspect. This is the true story. Vincent is alive; he can be contacted.
“For those who are celebrating that this is an indictment on us and mentioning some fictitious big money, they will be disappointed once again as our hands are clean and our record of service for two decades is open for everybody to see. They will continue seeing us serving our father land and we will continue responding to all distress calls from all Nigerians provided they are life threatening.”
Hushpuppi, who recently pleaded guilty in the United States, narrated how he bribed Kyari according to court documents.
US Officials said in court filings that Abbas disclosed during interrogation that he paid bribes to Nigeria’s police chief, Kyari, to have one of his rivals arrested and jailed in Nigeria following a dispute over a $1.1million dupe of a Qatari businessperson.
Abbas had asked Kyari to arrest and jail a fellow fraudster Kelly Chibuzor Vincent after both were locked in a dispute presumably over how to share the $1.1million loot received from the Qatari businessperson.
