TheCable

Abba Kyari, the suspended deputy commissioner of police (DCP), has been transferred to the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had earlier announced the arrest of Kyari over alleged links with an international drug cartel.

The NDLEA had on Monday declared the embattled Kyari and four other police officers wanted.

Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the NDLEA, had said the anti-drug agency strongly believes that “DCP Kyari is a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline”.

Speaking after the police announced his arrest, Babafemi said Kyari and his alleged accomplices were handed over for interrogation and further investigation at about 5pm.

He said: “Few hours after he was declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA over his involvement in a 25 kilograms Cocaine deal, the Nigerian Police Force has handed over the suspended DCP Abba Kyari, the erstwhile Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force, to the anti-narcotic agency.

“Five of the wanted suspects namely: DCP Abba Kyari; ACP Sunday J. Ubua; ASP Bawa James; Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu were driven into the National Headquarters of NDLEA in Abuja at about 5pm on Monday 14th February to formally hand them over for interrogation and further investigation.

“The Agency wishes to assure that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that all suspects already in custody and those that may still be indicted in the course of investigation will face the full weight of the law at the end of the ongoing probe.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had indicted Kyari of conspiring with Hushpuppi, self-confessed international fraudster, in a $1.1 million scam.

The suspended police officer had denied the allegation, claiming that his “hands are clean”.