Salute to Abba Kyari: 20 years of proving crime does not pay

By Chris Paul Otaigbe

Nigeria celebrates one of her most diligent and hardworking cops on his 20 years of pushing the frontiers of bringing celebrated criminals to book. Over two decades, Abba Kyari had proved that indeed, Nigeria can boast of dedicated and result-oriented policemen. As the inspector-General of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), he has been the man taking the war against crime to the most dreaded criminals. He was the new Sheriff in town, who remained in town with eyes for the feared crime warlords in the country.

When he entered the Nigerian Police Force in the year 2000, he had two other jobs that were more easily preferred by young Nigerians of his age. Coming from a very humble background, it was a time when being a Policeman was regarded as a lowly job; a time other Nigerians would have opted to serve in the Nigerian Minting and Printing Company or as a lecturer in a University.

But DCP Abba Kyari opted for the police uniform, and the minute he made that decision; he began breaking some of the hardest grounds in the history of crime detection, and arrests of high-profile criminals in Nigeria’s history.

In one breaking news, as reported in the July 24, 2017 edition of Vanguard in the report titled, “Breaking; Police arrest Boko Haram Deputy Unit Commander in Abuja,” he was reported to have arrested some of the dreaded Commanders of the Boko Haram terrorists.

In another report published in the October 11, 2015 edition of Vanguard breaking the news, in its report titled, “Police arrest six suspects,” he captured six of the suspected kidnappers of the Secretary to the Federation, Olu Falae.

In yet another, working as the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT), he arrested the most trusted herbalist of the late kidnap-for-ransom kingpin, Henry Chibueze, popularly known as Vampire, who had in the last few years, operated with terror in the Southeastern and South-South States.

Published in the March 7 edition of the Guardian, in the report titled, “Vampire’s herbalist arrested,” it was a magical feat by the top cop. While his slaying of the main criminal Henry Chibueze was reported by Sahara Reporters’ edition of March 02, 2017, in the report, “Kidnap Kingpin ‘Vampire’ Killed In Rivers State.”

The report was also breaking news, reporting that IRT had killed the dreaded and deadly kidnap-for-ransom kingpin, Henry Chibueze, notoriously known as “Vampire,” in Omu Awa forest, Ikwerre Local Government Area in Rivers state.
In another report titled, “Police rescue Americans, Canadians kidnapped in Kaduna,” published by the Punch in the January 21, 2018 edition, the Police Intelligence Response Team, on Saturday, under his command, rescued two Americans and two Canadians kidnapped along the Jere-Kagarko road in Kaduna State.

He opened up in the June 24, 2017 edition of the Daily Post in the report titled, “Evans: I don’t use ‘juju’ to track criminals, ACP Abba Kyari opens up on the arrest of billionaire kidnapper, the quintessential crime buster”, a cop who puts the fear of God in criminals, spoke of how he had been on Evan’s trail for five years before arresting the notorious kidnapper.

These are few of the highly-celebrated testimonies of high-profile crimes, Kyari had busted, and the big criminals he had put in the dock.
He has achieved far more than many can recount among which includes his arrest of:
1. Nigeria’s most notorious Kidnap kingpin Billionaire Kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwaumadike, a.k.a Evans, in Lagos State and his Gang members, now under prosecution.
2. Killers of former Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd), along Keffi-Gitata Kaduna road, under prosecution.
3. The most wanted Boko-Haram Commander Umar Abdulmalik and Eight (8) of his terrorist gang members, under Investigation.
4. Twenty-two (22) Boko-Haram terrorist gang members responsible for the kidnap of the Chibok School Girls in 2014, and also responsible for series of suicide bombings/several attacks and ambush against security agents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, now under prosecution.
5. The deadliest Kidnapper in the history of Nigeria, Henry Chibueze, A.k.a “Vampire” in Owerri, Imo State and his gang members, under prosecution.
6. The deadly Offa Bank robbers that invaded Offa Town, Kwara State and robbed five commercial Banks, the gang also murdered over Thirty-one (31) innocent Nigerians making it the deadliest bank robbery in the history of Nigeria, under prosecution.
7. Kidnappers who kidnapped a serving Assistant Comptroller of Customs in Port Harcourt, under prosecution.
8. A syndicate of kidnappers, armed bandits and their sponsors in Zamfara State, after the gang had kidnapped the twin sisters before their wedding, under prosecution.
9. Deadly armed robbers and murderers who escaped from lawful custody at the SARS Lokoja, Kogi State, under prosecution.
10. Dare-devil kidnappers who were responsible for the kidnap/murder of Mr. John Iheanacho, a staff of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/President of Eastern Zone Investment Cooperative Society Ltd., in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, under prosecution.
11. The suspect responsible for the murder of Lieutenant Abubakar Yahaya Yusuf, a serving Naval Officer and his girlfriend Miss. Lorraine Onye in Rivers State, under prosecution.
12. Dangerous kidnappers responsible for the kidnap of two South African citizens in Kaduna State, under prosecution.
13. Terrorist responsible for the bombing of Kuje and Nyanya towns of Abuja, and the recovery of primed bombs in the FCT, under prosecution.
14. Killer-kidnappers responsible for the kidnap of two Americans and two Canadians in Kaduna State, under prosecution.
15. A notorious criminal who threatened to Kill the former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar and his family, under prosecution.
16. The kidnappers of elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae in Ondo State, sentenced to life imprisonment by Ondo State High Court.
17. A gang of deadly killers responsible for the killing of several innocent persons in Benue State and the recovery of their operational weapons, under prosecution.
18. A notorious arms dealer who specializes in selling arms to armed robbers, kidnappers and politicians in the South-West.

For this, he had been deservedly rewarded both by his organization, the President and a grateful gamut of groups in the private sector and Civil societies in the country and across the West African Region.

Some of his many awards include:
1. Triple IGP Commendation Medal for courage, 2012, 2013, 2014.
2. Triple Lagos State Governor’s award for Gallantry, Leadership and Service Excellence, 2011, 2012, 2013.
3. Lagos State Commissioner of Police Commendation Award for courage, 2011.
4. Best Anti-Crime Police Officer in West Africa from Security Watch Africa.
5. Star Award from CRAN, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017, 2018, 2019.
6. Star Award for Outstanding Gallantry in Africa 2018, by Security watch Africa.
7. Africa’s Best Detective of the Year 2018.
8. The Best Police Officer of the Decade Award.
9. 2018 Hero of the Year Award by Silverbird Group.
10. Presidential medal for courage from President Muhammadu Buhari on April 1st, 2016.

The first of 30 children in a polygamous home, Kyari, a Kanuri by tribe, is a native of Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State. Born on March 17, 1975, into the family of Alhaji Baba Kyari, at the metropolitan city of Maiduguri, Borno State, Abba had his primary and secondary education, at the University of Maiduguri Staff Primary School and Government College Maiduguri, where he obtained his Senior Secondary School Leaving Certificate, SSCE.

He gained admission into the University of Maiduguri in 1993 and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Geography in 1997. Afterwards, he proceeded on his compulsory National Youth Service, NYSC, and was attached to the 6th Motorized Infantry Battalion of the Nigeria Army, at Igbawa Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Kyari got enlisted into the NPF in the year 2000, with the rank of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), and was trained at the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano, Kano State. He was subsequently posted to the Adamawa State Police Command, on a one-year attachment, from January 2002 to 2003, and was later deployed to Numan town Police Division, Adamawa State, where he served as the Divisional Crime Officer, DCO, between the year, 2003 to 2005. He performed excellently. The most notable, was the arrest of a notorious armed robber, known as Ingili, who have held Numan Town hostage for many years. He was later drafted into the Police Mobile Force, PMF, and was attached to the PMF 14 Squadron Command Yola, where he served as a Unit Commander from 2005 to 2010. In 2007, Kyari, as a Unit commander, was deployed on a special duty tour to the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos State Police Command, between 2007 to 2010. During his redeployment from the RRS, the then Commander, Hakeem Odumusu, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, recommended that Abba Kyari should be deployed fully to the Lagos State Police Command, for having served the State with distinction and high dedication.

Subsequently, Kyari got demobilized into conventional police, in 2010 when he attained the rank of a Superintendent of Police and was transferred to the Lagos State Police Command. He was posted to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, as the second officer-in-charge and later, he became the officer-in-charge, a position he held till date.

As Superintendent of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, Abba Kyari served at the Lagos State Police Command, in the capacity of the Officer-In-Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, an outfit reputed for combating violent crimes, ranging from armed robbery, car theft, kidnapping, gang clashes, sea piracy and terrorism.

Things are tough for Nigeria and her people in the aspects of institutional integrity, patriotic loyalty to the State and commitment to the general well-being of the citizenry. The citizens scuff at the law and instinctively lean against a reasonable expectation that the law is made for their own good or that the police is truly their friend. Even in this Hobbesian dystopia, many officers of the Nigeria Police have pleasantly surprised Nigerians and done national service with rare commitment and loyalty to the State and the populace that set it up.

In this rank, we have had Abubakar Tsav, Nuhu Ribadu and now, Abba Kyari, amongst many who toil and bleed day and night unsung, in spite of all odds and cynicism of the jaded citizenry to fulfil the national pledge to be faithful, loyal and honest, to serve with all might and strength, leaving us a ray of hope of a time not too distant in the horizon, when to have many good law enforcement officers with the astuteness, sincerity and gallantry of DCP Abba Kyari, will be acknowledged with national pride, is an occasional surprise.