The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), has revealed that the United States government has opened talks with the Nigerian government over a possible extradition of the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari to the U.S.
The embattled DCP was alleged to have conspired with international fraud kingpin, Ramon Abbas in a mega $1m scam deal.
Giving update on the situation, Malami revealed that the US has established reasonable evidence against Kyari, adding that the suspended DCP could be extradited to face a possible prosecution and conviction if he is adjudged guilty by the law.
The AGF made this disclosure while speaking during an interview session with Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’ on Monday.
He also added that Nigeria will do the needful to support America to ensure that justice is served and all perpetrators in the fraud scheme are brought to book.
In his words: “It is an issue that has international and national dimensions. Actions have been taken, it is a work-in-process locally and internationally and we are doing whatever it takes to ensure justice is done within the context of the law regardless of the personalities that are involved.
“When criminality is involved, Nigeria and US naturally work together when there are elements of the offences that have taken place in the diverse jurisdictions. So, Nigeria is doing the needful by way of supporting what America is doing for the purpose of ensuring that the cases are tried accordingly within the context of the American context of it. And then, eventually, if there is need for local prosecution, nothing stops it.
“There are a lot of issues that are ongoing inclusive of the possibility of consideration for extradition. That is where the collaboration element of it comes into play. There could be a need or perhaps the possibility of making such request.
“As far as I am concerned, the parties are discussing, the parties are collaborating, there are exchanges of correspondence from the perspective of investigation, from the perspective of extradition, and associated things.
“Reasonable grounds for suspicion have been established and that will eventually translate to the possibility of prosecution and conviction if indeed one is adjudged guilty by the law.”
Recall that Kyari had been under fire since a report by the U.S Department of Justice indicted him as one of the conspirators in a mega fraud scheme.
In another document complied by the U.S Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent, Andrew Innocenti, it was further revealed that Hushpuppi allegedly contracted the services of Kyari on January 16, 2020 after Chibuzo threatened to expose an alleged $1.1m fraud committed against a Qatari businessman.
Kyari was alleged to have collected N8m from Hushpuppi after arresting Vincent.
Recall also that the embattled police cop had since denied the allegations describing it as false and fictitious.
In a post on his verified Facebook account, Kyari denied receiving money from Hushpuppi. He further claimed that the Instagram celebrity only called his office about two years ago that somebody in Nigeria threatened to kill his family.
