News

NDLEA Seeks AGF’s Approval to Confiscate Abba Kyari’s Assets, Bank Accounts

Published

3 years ago

March 14, 2022

Eric

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has written a letter to the Attorney General of the Federation seeking his approval for the confiscation of properties and assets belonging to the once revered super cop.

It was gathered that the NDLEA’s request was dispatched to the justice minister last week following the March 7 arraignment of Kyari and his men for dealing in cocaine.

Kyari is facing eight counts of conspiracy, obstruction, and dealing in cocaine, and other related offences at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The other defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022, are four members of the IRT, Ubua, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu.

Two other suspects arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, were also listed as defendants.

Kyari, who has been indicted in the United States for alleged involvement in a $1.1m scam carried out by a notorious Internet scammer, Ramon Abass, a.ka. Hushpuppi was suspended by the police last July.

A source said the drug agency’s request is receiving the AGF’s attention, noting that Malami was in the process of approving the seizure of the embattled DCP’s assets and property to ensure he did not benefit from the proceeds of crime.

Our correspondent gathered that the ex-IRT commander’s assets that will be confiscated include cash and money in bank accounts, vehicles, real estate, notably hotels, residential and commercial buildings; personal effects such as wristwatches, jewellery and other valuable possessions.

The PUNCH learnt that the AGF’s approval was required by the NDLEA to seize a suspect’s property pending conviction by the court.

A senior officer stated, “Under the NDLEA Act, the NDLEA cannot forfeit his assets unless based on the consent of the Attorney-General. The NDLEA wrote last week and the AGF is considering the request.”

The NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development, saying, “It’s a normal procedure to seek approval for a no debit order on suspects’ bank accounts when suspicious transactions are noticed in such accounts.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice has denied changing its legal opinion in respect of the money laundering case against Kyari, stating that the prima facie case against him still subsists.

The Director of Public Prosecution, Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar, said the AGF has not issued another opinion on the case, noting that the legal advice issued to the police in January still stands.

Abubakar told our correspondent on the phone on Sunday that the police were expected to probe the allegation but failed to carry out the necessary forensic analysis of the phones of the suspects which could have provided the money trail linking the senior police officer to Hushpuppi’s syndicate members.

He said, “You rightly quoted our first opinion where we said they (police) should establish the linkages- trace the money trail. We didn’t say the case file doesn’t contain sufficient evidence. It was their (police) response we were referring to. The prima facie evidence we said exists still exists.

“The response they sent to us after we sent in our opinion did not sufficiently address the issues we raised. That was the point we raised; maybe, we should have done it differently. We didn’t abrogate our opinion. Our legal opinion still subsists; you don’t seek for legal opinion twice.

“There is nowhere we said we changed our position. If you look very well, our position is the same as that of the Police Service Commission. When you have a case and you need further investigation and that further investigation is not conducted, you cannot go to court with half evidence.”

Speaking on the gaps in the police investigation, the DPP added, “Normally, they should have done the forensic analysis of the phone records of all the suspects and that would have given them an idea of how they dealt with the money, which sent the money, when they collected the money, what they did with it. They didn’t do all of these.”

In a separate statement by his Spokesman, Umar Gwandu, the AGF stated that he had not changed his opinion on Kyari’s indictment. Rather, he only called for a further probe, a demand which may have been misunderstood.

The statement read in part, “It was a case of work in progress in respect of which the office of the AGF requested for further probe in relation to some aspects of investigation.

“It was clear that the conclusion on the alleged contradiction on the issue was a clear misconception. The office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice’s stance is that no conclusion has been reached in the direction of absence of evidence relating to the first report.”

The Punch

News

DSS, Police Arrest 20 Suspects for Hacking 2025 JAMB Exams

Published

4 hours ago

May 23, 2025

Eric

The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force, in Abuja, have confirmed the arrest of twenty suspects for hacking the 2025 Computer-based test examinations conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The suspects are said to be part of a syndicate believed to have over 100 persons, who specialize in hacking the computer servers of examination bodies like JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

News

El-Rufai Vows to Send Tinubu Back to Lagos in 2027

Published

1 day ago

May 22, 2025

Eric

A former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has declared that plans are underway to unseat President Bola Tinubu and send him back to Lagos in the 2027 presidential elections.

Speaking on Wednesday at the second edition of the Arewa Tech Fest in Katsina, El-Rufai revealed that a coalition of opposition forces is being formed and actively working to unseat the President.

He said: “They (the organising team) had to come without me because yesterday (Tuesday) at 8pm, there was a very important meeting of the coalition we’re putting together to ensure that President Tinubu goes back to Lagos.”

However, despite his firm stance against Tinubu, El-Rufai commended the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, who is serving under the current administration, saying the minister would be retained in the next government for his performance.

He said: “Though we will still keep Bosun Tijani, we will still keep the minister because he is doing good work.”

El-Rufai, dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in March 2025.

The former founding member of the APC, is now a key member of the opposition SDP and working alongside the former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, to form a coalition of different political parties against President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

El-Rufai also explained that his delayed arrival at the event was due to the political meeting, noting:

“I had to attend that meeting at 8pm. The Katsina airport does not operate after 8pm, so I could not come until this morning.”

News

Shadow Govt: Court Fixes June 25 for Hearing of DSS vs Pat Utomi Case

Published

1 day ago

May 22, 2025

Eric

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the service of court documents on the 2007 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Professor Pat Utomi, in relation to a suit pending over his alleged plan to establish a shadow government in the country.

The Department of State Services (DSS), in the suit, argued that not only is the planned shadow government an aberration, but it also constitutes a grave attack on the Constitution and a threat to the current democratically elected government.

Justice Omotosho granted an ex parte motion argued by the counsel for the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde, ordering service of court documents on Utomi, listed as the sole defendant, at his Lagos address using courier service.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case to June 25 for hearing, before which Utomi is expected to have filed his defence.

In the suit instituted on May 13, the DSS expressed concern that such a structure, styled as a “shadow government,” if left unchecked, might incite political unrest, cause inter-group tensions, and embolden other unlawful actors or separatist entities to replicate similar parallel arrangements, all of which pose a grave threat to national security.

The plaintiff wants the court to declare the purported “shadow government” or “shadow cabinet” being planned by Utomi and his associates as “unconstitutional and amounts to an attempt to create a parallel authority not recognized by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”

The DSS is also seeking a declaration that “under Sections 1(1), 1(2) and 14(2)(a) of the Constitution, the establishment or operation of any governmental authority or structure outside the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) is unconstitutional, null, and void”.

The plaintiff wants the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, restraining Utomi, his agents and associates “from further taking any steps towards the establishment or operation of a ‘shadow government,’ ‘shadow cabinet’ or any similar entity not recognized by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”

Among the grounds on which the plaintiff is hinging its prayers is that Section 1(1) of the Constitution declares its supremacy and binding force on all persons and authorities in Nigeria.

It added that Section 1(2) prohibits the governance of Nigeria or any part thereof except in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

According to the DSS, Section 14 (2Xa) states that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, from whom the government, through the Constitution, derives all its powers and authority.It is contending that Utomi’s proposed shadow government lacks constitutional recognition and authority, thereby contravening the aforementioned provisions.

The plaintiff further stated, in a supporting affidavit, that it is the principal domestic intelligence and security agency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, statutorily mandated to detect and prevent threats to the internal security of Nigeria, including subversive activities capable of undermining national unity, peace, and constitutional order.

The DSS added that it is statutorily empowered to safeguard the internal security of Nigeria and prevent any threats to the lawful authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its constituent institutions.It states that it has monitored, “through intelligence reports and open source material, public statements and interviews granted by the defendant, in which he announced the purported establishment of what he termed a ‘shadow government’ or ‘shadow cabinet’, comprising several persons that make up its ‘minister.’

“The ‘shadow government’ or ‘shadow cabinet’ is an unregistered and unrecognised body claiming to operate as an alternative government. Contrary to the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).“

The defendant (Utomi), through public statements, social media, and other platforms, has announced the formation of this body with the intent to challenge the legitimacy of the democratically elected government of Nigeria,” it said.

“Based on the intelligence gathered by the plaintiff, the activities and statements made by the defendant and his associates are capable of misleading segments of the Nigerian public, weakening confidence in the legitimacy of the elected government, and fuelling public disaffection.

“It is in the interest of justice, national security, and the rule of law for this honourable court to declare the existence and operations of the defendant unconstitutional and illegal,” it added.