Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has reacted to the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation over embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari’s indictment in a $1.1m cyber fraud involving a suspect, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, commonly known as Hushpuppi.
Umar Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the AGF Office has not received any official communication on the arrest warrant issued against Kyari.
Gwandu disclosed this during a telephone interview with PUNCH, when asked whether the AGF Office has received any communication from the FBI or the Nigerian Police.
WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that the United States Department of Justice had said ongoing investigations showed that Hushpuppi allegedly bribed Kyari to arrest one Kelly Chibuzo Vincent, one of his accomplices in Nigeria.
According to a court document released by the United States Department of Justice on Wednesday, titled: ‘Six Indicted in International Scheme to Defraud Qatari School Founder and then Launder over $1 Million in Illicit Proceeds’, Kyari was said to have been bribed to arrest one Kelly Chibuzor Vincent, 40, in Nigeria, who created bogus documents and arranged for the creation of a fake bank website and phone banking line to support the defrauding of a business person trying to provide $1.1m for the funding of a school in Qatar.
Malami’s aide said the AGF office, which is responsible for matters regarding extradition, repatriation and transfer of suspects or wanted persons has not been informed.
Gwandu said, “There is no official communication to that effect.”
The AGF aide also said a transfer process won’t commence until there is a request from the US to the effect.
He, however, assured that “everything will be done according to the rule of law and based on the dictates of the extant provisions of the law”.