Nigeria’s Police Service Commission (PSC) has set up its own in-house panel to probe suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police and former Head of the Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, over his indictment by a United States court for his links with serial internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.
The PSC’s probe panel, is an indictment on the Force Headquarters panel set up by Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba. The panel had been dilly-dallying on submission its final report which should ordinarily form form the basis of the Commission’s recommendations.
The PSC panel is expected to examine the facts of the allegations as contained in the Federal Bureau of Investigation indictment and also look at the extant rules “as a means of keeping abreast of the matter” pending the submission of the report by the Special Investigation Panel earlier set up by the IGP.
Following Kyari’s indictment by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in a $1.1 million Internet scam allegedly carried out by Hushpuppi and four others, the PSC had earlier suspended him on July 31, 2021 pending the outcome of the Police Headquarters investigation.
PSC Spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, titled, ‘PSC waits for Abba Kyari report, sets up in-house panel,’ explained that the panel is headed by the Director, Department of Police Discipline in the Commission, Tijani Mohammed, a lawyer.
It explained that the panel was “to gather and document relevant information on DCP Abba Kyari in view of his disciplinary matter and to analyze the information gathered and make appropriate recommendation/s to the Commission.”
The panel, which has been inaugurated by the Permanent Secretary/ Secretary to the Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Ismaila, has started work while the Commission awaits the report of the DIG Joseph Egbunike investigative panel on the matter.
The statement read, “The report of the in-house panel is expected to assist the commission take an informed decision when the investigative panel report is submitted for the commission’s consideration.
“The commission had also directed the Inspector-General of Police to furnish it with information on further development on the matter for necessary further action.”
The IGP panel on Kyari is yet to conclude its report though it has submitted two interim reports.
According to Force Public Relations Officer, Commissioner of Police Frank Mba, “the Nigeria Police Force wishes to inform the general public that the probe into the alleged indictment of DCP Abba Kyari by the FBI, being conducted by the NPF Special Investigation Panel (SIP), is still ongoing.
“Members of the public are enjoined to note that the panel has not submitted its report to the Inspector General of Police, as being wrongly reported in some news outlet and online platforms.
“The Force hereby reassures the public that the outcome of investigations by the probe panel would be communicated accordingly upon conclusion of the investigations.”