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Nigeria: Despite Suspension, ‘Supercop’ Kyari Retained Loyalty of Elite Squad, Called the Shots

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By Derrick Bangura

More information about how suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari acquired the eternal love of operatives of the elite police squad, the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), has surfaced.

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Despite his suspension, Kyari maintained control over the operatives, calling the shots behind the scenes through his deputy, ACP Sunday Ubua, who was also seconded to Disu.

The IRT was created by the then-Inspector General of Police to deal with high-profile crimes such as kidnapping and even terrorism.

The team, led by Kyari at the time, quickly established itself as a crime-fighting unit, as seen by the frequent arrests and types of cases they uncovered.

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But Kyari did not stumble onto such a group by chance; he had trained them in Lagos while he was the state’s commander-in-chief (Special Anti Robbery Squad SARS), which is now disbanded.

While at SARS, the squad grew stronger by cracking cases, however, they were accused of extrajudicial killings, fraud, and collecting money from detainees’ families in exchange for their release at various periods.

The case of Evans Onwuamadike, the ‘Billionaire kidnapper,’ who was apprehended by Kyari and his crew, catapulted him into national recognition.

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Although DCP Tunji Disu, the Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) at the time, laid the groundwork for his arrest with the help of then-Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni, Kyari and his men reaped the fame and promotions that came with it.

However, Kyari’s men allegedly re-looted the loot, tarnishing the high-profile arrest.

The operatives were said to have packed both local and foreign money, as well as exotic phones, fancy wristwatches, jewelry, televisions, and even glass cups, during the operation.
Evans accused Kyari and his men of forcibly collecting N50 million from him and N5 million from his wife under the guise of being freed on bond in a lawsuit filed by his attorneys.
Evans also claimed in the affidavit that the same police officers robbed him of $10,000.
As they withstood one allegation after another, the bond between Kyari and the men became stronger with each mission.
Evans also claimed in the affidavit that the same police officers robbed him of $10,000.
As they withstood one allegation after another, the camaraderie between Kyari and the men became stronger with each mission.

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The IRT, together with the STS, was merged into the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), directed by Ibrahim Lamorde, as part of the police hierarchy’s efforts to rein in the group’s apparent excesses.

Despite this, the team was nevertheless plagued by a slew of petitions and charges of human rights violations and corruption. Despite this, the government appeared powerless to intervene due to the godfathers suspected of being behind Kyari.
However, it appeared that he had been finally jailed after his suspension by the PSC on the suggestion of the current IGP, Baba, over the Hushpuppi case.

Despite the skilled hands of DCP Tunji Disu, who was detailed by the IG to take over the unit, he was still dictating the shots at the IRT, unbeknownst to the police leadership.

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Checks by THISDAY found that when Kyari took office, he was still carrying out covert criminal operations through his then-deputy, who was also seconded to Disu.
According to a senior officer from the force headquarters who spoke on the condition of anonymity to THISDAY, when Ubua was questioned by the IG, he said he was forced to execute Kyari’s orders since the suspended DCP assured him he would be restored shortly.

However, when the NDLEA briefed the IG on the evidence against Kyari and his men, they were all summoned for questioning, and Disu said he handed over to his deputy because he had an operation in Sokoto to carry out.

The deputy corroborated this, saying he carried out the operation on Kyari’s order without alerting the unit’s commander.
“The force is in a horrible place right now,” the person said. How could DCP Kyari have imagined that he would be restored following the FBI debacle? Who was it that was assuring him? The IG was taken aback when he learned that he had been assuring his men that DCP Disu would be fired and that he would be restored.

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“That, however, does not absolve ACP Ubua, who should have known better than to put his personal devotion to a man ahead of the police force he swore to protect. The only positive outcome was that the IG ultimately signed DCP Disu’s appeal to allow him to raise his own squad rather than rely on those inherited from his predecessor.”
Despite the FBI’s damaging claims, THISDAY investigated what gave Kyari such hope that he would be vindicated and reinstated as usual.
According to a source close to Kyari, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is to blame for his problems.

“When the Hushpuppi episode occurred, he told us that it would quickly fade away and that he would be reinstated,” he said. Given that he had detained some of them in various operations, he believes his problems were coordinated by IPOB.

“He said the FBI lawyer had Igbo ties and was likely sympathetic to the Biafra cause,” he said. So don’t worry; his godfathers were on top of the situation and were able to get him restored.”

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Despite claims that IRT and STS were being phased out by the police, the IG has set measures in action to sanitize the units by deploying new officers.

 

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Crime

Police Foil Cult Initiation in Anambra, Arrest Six Suspects

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The Anambra State Police Command has foiled a cult initiation ceremony in Nawfia, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson for the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Awka.

According to Ikenga, the operation was carried out by police operatives around 9:30am on June 15, leading to the arrest of six suspects at the scene.

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Recovered during the raid were one Jojef pump action gun, two cartridges, and a golden-coloured Lexus SUV with registration number ATN 202 AE. Other items found include two cutlasses, two scissors, a cap bearing the inscription of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity, charms, and substances suspected to be hard drugs.

“They are currently undergoing police interrogation to get more insight into their modus operandi, after which the case will be charged to court on the conclusion of the investigations,” Ikenga stated.

The police spokesperson reassured residents of the command’s unwavering commitment to fighting cultism and other related crimes across the state.

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Crime

Court remands 2 over alleged attempted murder

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Court discharges man accused of burning father’s house in Abuja

An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Wednesday, remanded two persons, Olaitan Fasasi and Kehinde Tobiloba in a correctional facility over alleged attempted murder.

Fasasi, 40, and Tobiloba, 26, whose addresses were not provided, are being charged with conspiracy, attempted murder and membership of a secret society.

The Magistrate, Mr L.A Owolabi, did not take the plea of the defendants for want of jurisdiction.

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Owolabi directed the police to forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

He thereafter adjourned the case until May 31 for mention.

The Prosecutor, Josephine Ikhayere, told the court that the defendants committed the offences at about 5.02p.m on Feb. 15, at Mushin, Lagos.

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She said that Fasasi, Tobiloba and others now at large, attempted to commit murder by shooting at a resident, Alfred Ademola.

“They armed themselves with a locally made gun. They belong to Eiye Confraternity, a group proscribed by law,”, she said.

Ikhayere said that the offences contravened Sections 230(1) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2012.

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He said that the actions of the defendants also contravened Section 2(3)(a)(b)(c)(d) of the unlawful societies and Cultism Law of Lagos State Law.

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Crime

Man jailed 3 months for stealing mobile phone

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An Area Court in Jos, on Tuesday, sentenced one Jeptha John, to three months imprisonment for stealing a Redmi mobile phone valued at N165, 000.

The judge, Shawomi Bokkos, sentenced the John after he pleaded guilty to the offence.

The judge, however, gave the convict an option to pay N20, 000 fine and N50, 000 restitution to the complainant.

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Bokkos said that if the convict defaulted in paying the restitution, three months should be added to his sentence to make it six months imprisonment.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, Insp Monday Dabit, told the court that the case was reported at the B Division Police Station, Jos, on Dec.  1, 2024, by Ms Nerat Danjuma.

He said that the complainant alleged that the defendant trespassed into her house and stole her mobile phone valued at N165, 000.

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The prosecutor further told the court that the offence contravened the Plateau State Penal Code, Law of Northern Nigeria.

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