THE LEGEND AND LEGACY OF NIGERIA’S MOST DECORATED SUPERCOP, WHAT'S NEXT FOR ABBA KYARI.
By Daniel Okonkwo
The duties of a police officer encompass several crucial responsibilities, including enforcing laws, responding to emergencies, investigating crimes, maintaining public order, and protecting life and property. These responsibilities also involve responding to distress calls, dismantling criminal organizations, making arrests, and testifying in court. Supercop Abba Kyari embodied all these roles and more.
The trial of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari in the drug-related charges preferred against him and others by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) was stalled on Wednesday following the death of the daughter of Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN. During proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the prosecution counsel drew the court’s attention to an affidavit alleging that Kyari had undergone prostate surgery. However, a letter from the Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital stated that no prostate surgery had been performed and that Kyari was only being treated for diabetes.
In response, Kyari’s counsel, Mohammed, argued that the prosecution's submission was an aberration, urging the court to strike it out for lack of a properly filed affidavit. He further submitted, “What he said is a very serious allegation against a professional colleague. Let him come with a proper application to show that the court was taken for a ride.” He then asked Kyari to show the court where the surgery had taken place on his abdomen, which he did. The judge and other parties noted the bandage on his stomach.
Justice Nwite commented, “With the mood we are in now, I am shocked; we cannot do anything meaningful now. If there are issues, the prosecution should come formally for both parties to be heard.” Consequently, the court adjourned the matter till July 7, 2025, for the defense.
But the larger question remains: Is Abba Kyari’s contribution to Nigeria redeemable in a tough situation like this?
Delivering a ruling on the no-case submission, Justice Nwite held that, based on the evidence led so far by the prosecution, a prima facie case had been established against the defendants, requiring them to present a defense.
Highly celebrated by Nigerians, Abba Kyari was not just a law enforcer—he was a celebrity cop known for his toughness, tenacity, and unmatched investigative acumen. He could crack any case and dismantle the most formidable crime syndicates, including terrorists, bandits, and armed criminals. His rise to prominence was meteoric, and his record seemed almost mythical. However, in a dramatic twist of fate, Kyari now finds himself on the other side of the law.
Abba Kyari is a suspended Nigerian police officer who rose to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police. He is a respected member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Before he was appointed the head of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT), he served as a unit commander in the Lagos State Police Command and later led the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Kyari is widely regarded as one of the most decorated officers in Nigeria’s history. He received the Presidential Medal of Courage from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 for rescuing three kidnapped schoolgirls in Lagos. He was also honored with the Lagos State Award for Gallantry for three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013.
His team became Nigeria’s go-to unit for high-profile cases. When the convoy of the Governor of Benue State was ambushed in March, Kyari’s team was dispatched. They were also responsible for investigating the 2015 kidnapping of the mother of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, now the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
The arrest of Nigeria’s most notorious kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans, in Lagos and the dismantling of his syndicate remain one of Kyari’s most lauded operations. He was hailed as exceptionally skilled, deeply dedicated, and unrelenting in his pursuit of justice.
Notable Accomplishments of DCP Abba Kyari and His Team:
Arrest of billionaire kidnapper Evans and his gang in Lagos
Arrest of the killers of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd)
Arrest of Boko Haram commander Umar Abdulmalik and eight of his members
Arrest of 22 Boko Haram terrorists linked to the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction
The capture of kidnapper Henry Chibueze a.k.a. Vampire in Imo State
Arrest of the Offa Bank robbers responsible for 31 deaths
Arrest of kidnappers of an Assistant Comptroller of Customs in Port Harcourt
Dismantling of a kidnapping syndicate in Zamfara
Arrest of SARS custody escapees in Lokoja, Kogi State
Arrest of the killers of NNPC staff John Iheanacho in Port Harcourt
Arrest of the murderer of Lt. Abubakar Yahaya Yusuf and his girlfriend
Arrest of kidnappers of two South African citizens in Kaduna
Arrest of terrorists behind the Kuje and Nyanya bombings in Abuja
Arrest of kidnappers of two Americans and two Canadians in Kaduna
Arrest of a suspect who threatened former VP Atiku Abubakar
Arrest of abductors of Chief Olu Falae in Ondo State (suspects sentenced to life)
Dismantling of a deadly killer gang in Benue State
Arrest of a notorious arms dealer supplying robbers in the Southwest
The arrest of Godogodo, responsible for over 500 deaths
Arrest of kidnappers of Turkish schoolgirls in Lagos and Ogun
Arrest of murderers of Barrister Sherif Yazid
The arrest of Kogi kidnap kingpin Halti Bello and 20 of his men
Arrest of over 300 kidnappers, recovery of 200+ AK-47 rifles
The arrest of killers of Ubani Onyema, Production Manager, Niger Delta Petroleum
Arrest of Ade Lawyer, Southwest’s most feared assassin
Arrest of Ikorodu schoolgirls’ kidnappers in Lagos
Arrest of abductors of CBN Governor’s wife in Delta State
Arrest of abductors of Ambassador Bagudu Hirse in Kaduna
Arrest of abductors of the Sierra Leonean Deputy High Commissioner in Kaduna
Arrest of kidnappers of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s mother in Delta State
Foiling a plot to bomb the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos
Arrest of militants and kidnappers in Rivers State with heavy arms recovery
Arrest of a gang planning to kidnap billionaire Femi Otedola
Arrest of abductors of the Oba of Iba, a first-class Lagos monarch
Arrest of abductors of Hon. Sani Bello, late House of Reps member
Arrest of robbers involved in major bank heists in Lagos and Ogun
Arrest of abductors of the Orekoya children in Lagos
Arrest of abductors of the former Ejigbo LGA chairman in Lagos
Arrest of killers of an Oyo State lawmaker
Arrest and conviction of killers of Rev. Fr. Adeyi in Benue
Arrest of abductors of Alhaji Salami in Abuja
Arrest of abductors of two ABTI American University students in Abuja
The list extends to over 500 arrests.
Despite these commendable achievements, the legacy of Abba Kyari now hangs in the balance—entangled in controversy and legal battles that threaten to overshadow his years of distinguished service. His story is a poignant reminder of the thin line between heroism and condemnation.
His fall from grace remains an unfolding legal matter. A suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. The lingering question is: Who deserves a second chance—Abba Kyari or a terrorist granted amnesty by the same government prosecuting this case?
As a human rights advocate, I believe that people should pay for the crimes they commit. But I also believe in second chances. If terrorists could be pardoned regardless of the atrocities they committed, then one police officer—whose alleged crime does not rise to terrorism—deserves a better chance and is worthy of being reformed for greater societal contributions. Abba Kyari’s record speaks volumes.
Making the world a better place, one profile at a time.
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