The United State’s request to extradite Abba Kyari, the embattled deputy commissioner of Police, has been approved by the federal government, reports are saying.
Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, made this known in an application filed before the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The AGF in Abuja on Thursday described the extradition request as neither political nor trivial.
The policeman was implicated in the $1.1million wire fraud involving social media celebrity Abass Ramon, also known as Hushpuppi and four others.
Read also: Abuja court rejects Abba Kyari’s bail application
The United States District Court for the Central District of California is charging Kyari with Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and aiding and abetting that offence
Andrew Innocenti, an FBI special agent had alleged that Hushpuppi used the services of Kyari after a “co-conspirator,” Chibuzo Vincent, allegedly threatened to expose the alleged $1.1m fraud committed against a Qatari businessman. Innocenti alleged that Hushpuppi paid the police officer a sum of $20,600 (N8m) for the arrest and detention of Vincent.
On July 29 2021, Kyari made a Facebook post to deny the allegations, but he later deleted the post. Two days later, he was suspended by the police services commission.
Usman Baba, the Inspector General of Police, on August 2 2021 constituted the Special Investigation Panel headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Joseph Egbunike, to probe the allegations.
The probe panel findings were submitted to the AGF office which is responsible for matters relating to extradition, repatriation and transfer of suspects or wanted persons.
