More details have emerged on how suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari earned the undying loyalty of operatives of the elite police group, the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), a relationship he was said to have built way back.
It has been revealed that despite his suspension, Kyari still had his hold on the operatives and called the shots under the table through his deputy, ACP Sunday Ubua, who was also seconded to Disu.
The IRT, an elite unit set up by the then Inspector General of Police, was to tackle high-profile crimes like kidnapping and even terrorism.
Headed then by Kyari, the team soon made its mark as a squad that was out to tackle crime given the constant arrests and the category of cases they busted.
But Kyari did not come upon such a team by happenstance; he had groomed them from Lagos, when he was the commander in charge-of-the-state (Special Anti Robbery Squad SARS), although now disbanded.
While at SARS, the team forged stronger through cracking cases but were at different times accused of extrajudicial killings and other allegations of fraud and obtaining money from families of suspects to release them.
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The case that brought him to limelight was that of Evans Onwuamadike, the ‘Billionaire kidnapper’, who was arrested by Kyari and his team.
Although the ground work that led to his arrest was done by DCP Tunji Disu, who was at that time the Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) with support from Fatai Owoseni, the then Commissioner of Police; Kyari and his men took the glory and promotions that came with it.
But the high-profile arrest was tainted by how Kyari’s men allegedly re-looted the loot Evans obtained from his victims, forcefully.
During the raid, the operatives were alleged to have packed both local and foreign currencies, exotic phones, designer wristwatches, jewelry, television and even glass cups.
In a petition by Evans through his lawyers, he accused Kyari and men of forcibly taking N50 million from him and N5million from his wife under the pretext that he would be released on bail.
Evans also deposed in the affidavit that he was dispossessed of $10,000 by the same police officers.
For each operation, the bond between Kyari and men forged stronger as they weathered one allegation after the other.
It was part of measures by the police hierarchy to cut the seeming excesses of the group that IRT alongside the STS, was integrated into the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) headed by Ibrahim Lamorde.
In spite of that move, the team was still dogged with countless petitions and allegations of human rights abuse and corruption. Yet, there was seemingly nothing much the authorities could do because of the godfathers said to be behind Kyari.
But following his suspension by the PSC on the recommendation of the present IGP, Baba, over the Hushpuppi case, it seemed he was finally caged.
Unbeknownst to the police hierarchy, he was still calling the shots at the IRT despite the capable hands of DCP Tunji Disu, who was detailed by the IG to take over the unit.
THISDAY checks revealed that Kyari was still carrying out discreet illegal operations through his then deputy, who was as well seconded to Disu when he assumed office.
A senior officer, who spoke on anonymity to THISDAY from the force headquarters said when Ubua was questioned by the IG, he said he was forced to obey orders from Kyari because the suspended DCP assured him he would soon be reinstated by the force.
