TheCable

A federal high court in Abuja has fixed June 14 to hear a suit seeking to stop the federal government from extraditing Abba Kyari, the suspended deputy commissioner of police (DCP).

Donatus Okorowo, the presiding judge, adjourned the matter following the absence of all the parties in court on Monday.

Also, there was no legal representation for any of the parties.

Consequently, Okorowo, who had earlier threatened to strike out the case for want of diligent prosecution, said he was willing to grant one more adjournment.

He ordered the service of hearing notice on all the parties.

Kyari is wanted in the United States over alleged conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft.

A grand jury had, on April 29, 2021, filed an indictment against him with the approval of the US district court for the Central District of California, after which a warrant was issued for his arrest.

In July 2021, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicted Kyari in a $1.1 million fraud involving Hushpuppi, the self-confessed international fraudster.

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

In August 2021, Usman Baba, inspector-general of police, received the report of a panel set up to probe the allegation against the officer.

The report was thereafter sent to the AGF who then filed an extradition application against Kyari on March 2, 2022.

Earlier in August 2021, a group under the aegis of the Incorporated Trustees of Northern Peace Foundation, had approached the federal high court in Abuja, seeking an order to halt any plan to extradite Kyari to the US.

The court had, on August 19, 2021, declined the ex-parte motion filed by the group for an order of interim injunction to be issued against the respondents.

Rather, Ahmed Mohammed who delivered the ruling ordered the group, through its lawyer, Olukayode Ajulo, to convert the ex-parte application to a motion on notice and serve all the relevant processes to parties in the suit.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, are cited as defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/854/2021.

The judge had then fixed April 4, 2022 to hear the main suit.