Between Hushpuppi and Abba Kyari

I woke up to read a damning report about DCP Abba Kyari which linked him to the international fraudster, Hushpuppi. Reading that report, I felt so sad considering the gravity of such on the image of the country in the international community. Few hours later, while surfing the internet, I stumbled on a piece believed to have been written by DCP Abba Kyari himself in response to the indictment.

In the piece, DCP Abba Kyari acknowledged arresting Vincent two years ago after receiving a distress call from Hushpuppi who claimed that someone in Nigeria threatened to kill his family. In the piece, DCP Abba Kyari said Vincent was later released on bail after they realized that there was no threat to life but a case of money involving Vincent and Hushpuppi. The question to now ask DCP Abba Kyari is that; during his phone conversation with Hushpuppi, did he bother to ask Hushpuppi the connection he has with Vincent to have warranted death threat (considering the fact that such threat does not just occur)? After realising it was money issue between the two of them, is it not expected of him as an intelligence officer to unravel the business between the two persons which could have warrant telling such lie against the other person? What effort did he make to ensure that the money issue was resolved between the two parties so that there won't be bad bloods between them? With my level of education in intelligence gathering, I know that these are fundamental issues that DCP Abba Kyari should have unravelled.

Though, I understand that some myopic and unintelligent elements might reduce this agitation to that of chicken coming home to roost. But that will be far from the truth. In fact, I can say categorically that, as an individual, I do not have any criminal record and I am presently not into internet fraud, but this agitation is that of enforcing the law. We cannot claim to be fighting crime when our law enforcement officers are fully involved in crime themselves.

The legal prism, aequitas sequitor legem (equity follows the law; he who comes into equity must come with clean hands) comes to fore. The implication of this legal term is that, as a law enforcement officer, you are expected to be of high moral and legal standard. Without being economical with the truth, the indictment is another blemish on the already sullied reputation of the Nigeria Police Force and a smear on the international image of the country. At this point, the country must show that it abhors criminal by taking all necessary disciplinary action against DCP Abba Kyari.

And, as much as I understand that we have not seen the material substance of the indictment against DCP Abba Kyari, the content of that report is a simple case of breaching oath of allegiance and public service rule.

Just some two weeks ago, DCP Abba Kyari, including some lawmakers of the country (Shina Peller and Akin Alabi) was at a funeral programme where the Naira was so bastardised. But Nigeria, being a country of a high percentage of psychologically battered people, saw nothing wrong in such gathering to the extent that some persons were even pushing some ridiculous arguments to back such display without minding the implication. Till this very moment, the Police authority has not invited those persons to explain their source of wealth not to talk of prosecuting them for spraying the Naira.

During the heat of the EndSARS agitation, I maintained that the brutality of SARS operatives that was complained of them is a symptomatic effect of a systemic failure. Right now, it is expected of the Police Service Commission to invoke the internal disciplinary measures of the Police Force against DCP Abba Kyari by thoroughly investigating the allegations levied against him. With this, Nigerian people will be made to understand that the PSC is not a collaborator in crime because, as it is, elements like DCP Abba Kyari need be purged of the Police Force. CSP Alozie Ogugbuaja, the then PPRO of Lagos during the military junta of Babangida did not do near this before he was disgraced out of the Force.

Kazeem Olalekan Israel (GANI) writes from Ibadan, Nigeria.