The federal government of Nigeria has approved the extradition of the suspended Commander of the Police Intelligence Response Team, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari to the United States of America (USA).
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the approval was given after the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) filed an application for Kyari’s extradition before the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Recall that in April 2021, a jury filed an indictment against Kyari with the approval of a U.S. District Court and demanded Kyari stand trial for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft.
Kyari was accused of conspiring with a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Nigerian, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi to commit the crime. The crime amounts to about $1.1million wire fraud perpetrated by Hushpuppi and 4 others
Consequently, the US Embassy requested for Kyari’s extradition. The AGF said the application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/249/2022 was filed under the Extradition Act, and that it followed a request by the Diplomatic Representative of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.
The request is “for the surrender of Abba Alhaji Kyari, who is a subject in a superseding three counts indictment,” Malami said, adding that he was satisfied that the offence in respect of which Kyari’s surrender is not political nor is it trivial.
The AGF also expressed satisfaction that the request for the surrender of Kyari was not made to persecute or punish him on account of his race, religion, nationality or political opinions but in good faith and the interest of justice.
He said Kyari, “if surrendered, will not be prejudiced at his trial and will not be punished, detained or restricted in his personal liberty, by reason of his race, nationality or political opinions”.
The AGF said having regard to all the circumstances in which the offence was committed, it will not be unjust or oppressive, or be too severe a punishment, to surrender him.
Malami said he was also satisfied that Kyari has been accused of the offence for which his surrender is sought. He noted that there was no criminal proceeding pending against Kyari in Nigeria for the same offence.
