Five top Nigerian law enforcement officers arrested for crimes

Law enforcement agents always take an oath of office before signing into an agency. However, some who are meant to protect the citizens renege on their promises to secure the lives and property of those they should protect.

BusinessDay reports some top officers in Nigerian law enforcement agencies who ought to be the custodian of the law but have been accused of bending the rules to their favour, hence being scrutinised by the very law they committed to upholding.

Here is a list of five top law enforcement officers arrested for different criminal accusations.

Tafa Balogun (ex-Inspector General of Police)

Born Mustafa Adebayo Balogun on 25th August 1947 the late disgraced police boss died on August 4, 2022. Fondly known as Kumawu, he was a Nigerian police officer and the 11th Inspector General of Police as he assumed duties in March 2002 but was forced to retire because of widespread charges of corruption in January 2005.

BusinessDay gathers that in his prime, Tafa Balogun was a powerful inspector-general of police (IGP). He controlled a large police force, surrounded by armed personal security details, had vast resources at his disposal and also had the ears of the high and mighty in the society, including the president.

Indeed, he was the delight of favour seekers. A six-footer, he was large in stature and doings. His carriage was intimidating and his appearance commanded respect.

But he didn’t last long. The former IGP was brought to his knees by a junior officer in the force, Nuhu Ribadu, a then assistant commissioner of police and chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Balogun was caught with both hands buried in the cookie jar.

He was slammed with multi-billion-naira corruption charges by the anti-graft commission, Balogun was handcuffed and led to the court. He entered a plea bargain agreement, the first of its kind in the country, and got away with a six-month sentence. The ex-IGP was reported to have spent most of the jail term bedridden at the Abuja National Hospital.

Abba Kyari (Deputy Commissioner of Police)

Abba Kyari fondly known as Nigeria’s super cop before his grace to grass story was born on March 17, 1975. He was a former Deputy Commissioner of Police but now being indicted for his connection with internet fraudster Ramon Abbas a.k.a “Hushpuppi”.

Kyari was admitted into Police Academy Wudil, Kano State in 2000, he graduated as cadet assistant superintendent of Police (ASP) and was posted to Adamawa State Police Command for his one-year mandatory attachment in Song Police Division.

He was later deployed as Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) in Numan, Adamawa State, Kyari, and also served as Unit Commander 14 PMF Yola. He moved to Lagos State Police Command as 2 IC and later Officer-In-Charge of SARS.

Until the revelation of his engagement with the infamous Nigerian fraudster (Ramon Abbas) popularly known as Hushpuppi, Kyari was the head of the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team in the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Abdulrasheed Bawa (ex-EFCC Chairman)

Tasked with ensuring that the activities of fraudsters do not prevail in Nigeria, Abdulrasheed Bawa a former Economic and Financial Crime Commission chairman was arrested and detained for about 33 days before his release.

Bawa was arrested by the DSS police shortly after he was suspended as the chairman of the EFCC by President Bola Tinubu. According to some reports that made the waves in the Nigerian digital space, there were indications that Bawa allegedly collaborated with the embattled ex-governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to have, among other things, carried out fraudulent deals with some Bureau De Change operators. It was also alleged that Bawa misappropriated proceeds of assets seized from suspects by the EFCC.

It was further gathered that Bawa was arrested and detained by the EFCC in 2019 for allegedly selling about 244 trucks worth between N20 million and N30 million each to his cronies at the cost of N100,000 per unit.

Meanwhile, Abdulrasheed Bawa was born in 1980 and hails from Jega, Kebbi state. He obtained his first leaving certificate from Model Primary School Birnin-Kebbi Road, Sokoto in 1991, and got his secondary school certificate from Government Secondary School, Owerri in 1997. In 2001, Bawa graduated from the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy from the same university in 2012; and has studied to bag a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of London.

Sambo Dasuki (Former National Security Adviser)

Dasuki was born on December 2, 1954, in Wusasa, to the royal family of Ibrahim Dasuki, the 18th Sultan of Sokoto as the first son. Dasuki attended Kaduna Capital School for his elementary education and later Government College, Kaduna, for his secondary education.

However, he gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1972 where he became classmates with officers like Colonel Kayode Are, General Owoye Andrew Azazi, and Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye.

Dasuki received his commission from the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1974 and was posted to an Army Headquarters platoon.

On 1 December 2015, Dasuki was arrested by Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) for allegedly stealing $2.1 billion. He was further accused of awarding phantom contracts to buy 12 helicopters, four fighter jets, and ammunition meant for Nigeria’s military campaign against Boko Haram Islamist militants. Also, in November 2018, Dasuki was refused bail by the government despite being granted bail by four different high court judges.

Abdullahi Dikko

In June 2016, reports made the wards that the EFCC arrested an ex-Nigerian Customs Service boss, Dikko, for an alleged N40bn fraud. The EFCC operatives had on January 8, raided the residence of the ex-Customs boss.

After oil and taxes, the NCS is the third highest revenue-generating agency of the Federal Government hence, the Customs boss who died in 2021was also investigated for issues bordering on the alleged diversion of Customs revenues to fund the campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and 2015.