The suspended Head of the Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari, has been arrested by the Nigerian police.
The PUNCH exclusively gathered that he was arrested alongside four others on Monday.
Kyari was arrested hours after National Drug Law Enforcement Agency declared him wanted over alleged drug links.
The suspended DCP is also under investigation after the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America indicted him in the case of fraud involving Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.
A senior police officer at the Force headquarters told our correspondent that Kyari was handcuffed and arrested like any other suspect.
“He has been arrested. He was handcuffed and will be handed over to the appropriate agency. He was not given any preferential treatment,” the police officer said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Force, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, also confirmed Kyari’s arrest.
He, however, did not give details, saying that a press release would be issued soon.
When asked to confirm Kyari’s arrest, Adejobi replied, “Yes and four others. A statement will be issued soon.”
Drug saga
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, had at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, chronicled how Kyari belonged to a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline.
The anti-drug agency said Kyari contacted one of its officers in Abuja and struck a deal to secure the release of a total of 25kg seized cocaine.
Babafemi said, “After the Agency gave the officer the green light to play along, he and Kyari began a WhatsApp call for the rest of the day. The officer conveyed “their” willingness to play the game.”