Disgraced former Commander of the Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, recently escaped death by the whiskers as over 190 aggrieved inmates at Kuje, who accused him of not honouring his bribe-for-release deals when he was in active service, descended on him like bees.
This may have triggered plans to move the ex-IRT boss from Kuje Correctional Centre to the custody of the Department of State Service, SSS.
The last attack, according to sources close to Punch newspaper, occurred on May 4, 2023. The attackers numbering about 190 are mostly in the correctional facility for drug-related offences.
The inmates who allegedly attempted to kill Kyari reportedly claimed that the disgraced cop prosecuted them despite taking bribes from them.
One of the sources who spoke to the newspaper, a state investigator and intelligence officer, described Kyari as a “dodgy criminal.”
Quoting the inmates, one of the sources said Kyari was “eliminating smaller (drug) dealers to clear the field for Afam Ukatu,” a suspected billionaire drug baron allegedly behind N3 billion Tramadol deal linked to Kyari
“Inmates claimed that upon arrest, Abba Kyari demanded bribes to kill the case, then still prosecuted them,” a Kuje prison source who accessed the testimonies of the aggrieved inmates, said.
It was gathered that Kyari had to pay each of the aggrieved inmates N200,000 ‘in initial settlement fees’ and then “procured DSTV subscription for cells to buy loyalty and peace,” another source said.
Despite this, the aggrieved inmates have continued to threaten Kyari’s life, the sources said.
“Regardless of the level of protection, they vowed to get him,” a source said. “The inmates have given him an ultimatum to return all he extorted from them or be killed.
“Relevant officials have assessed that he will be killed or badly injured if he continues to be remanded in Kuje.”
It was further revealed that consequent upon this development, an official recommendation has, therefore, been made that Kyari should be transferred out of Kuje to an DSS facility.
Meanwhile, a prison source said Kyari has his way in Kuje prison, alleging that the disgraced DCP bought the loyalty of officers.
“So far, he has every relevant officer on his payroll. They do his bidding, he sees his wife, and he has access to mobile devices and marabouts,” a source said.
