A Federal High Court in Abuja has agreed on a date to deliver judgment in a suit seeking to extradite the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, over his alleged link with Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, an alleged internet fraudster held in the United States.
The extradition suit filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, is seeking the court’s approval to surrender him to the United States government on cases centered on corruption.
The court has said that it would deliver its final judgment on the 29th of August, on the suit titled “Application for the Extradition of Abba Kyari to the U.S”, which is dated March 1 and filed on March 2. The judgment will determine if Kyari will be extradited to the United States to face pending fraud charges filed against him and others at the Central District Court of Central District of California.
As gathered, Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date after counsel for the parties in the suit adopted their processes, and presented their arguments in the matter.
The application is filed under the Extradition Act, as part of the Nigerian government’s approval of the request by the U. S. for Kyari’s extradition is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/249/2022 with Malami being the applicant and Kyari the respondent in the application.
U.S. prosecutors have accused him of complicity in the $1.1million international fraud spearheaded by Abbas Ramon, a former Nigerian Instagram celebrity, who now awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to the scam and other criminal activities.
Kyari who formerly headed the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), and six others are currently facing a separate trial on allegations bordering on drug trafficking before a federal high court, Abuja presided over by Emeka Nwite.
Kyari was suspended over his alleged roles in the Hushpuppi case and was indicted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a 25kg cocaine deal earlier this year.
The formerly celebrated police officer and his co-defenders are being held at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
