Still In Abba Kyari Crime Fighting And The Need To Curtail Disturbing Incidences Of Crime In The Country (10) -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

In the course of researching for this series, I discovered that there are other encouraging write-ups about Abba Kyari in the media. Different people have written and demanded his release from the prison and be ordered to fight the bandits the way he has been doing before his case. Some have argued that he was a victim of wicked conspiracy orchestrated by the criminal elements to put him away to enable them continue their pillage on the country.

A Nigerian security expert Mr. Abdul Suleiman speaking to the Leadership Newspaper opined that the Nigerian Police may be missing the services of DCP Abba Kyari in the face of lingering security crisis in the country. “Despite the limited resources and difficult terrain, he was able to ensure the country was not overrun by terrorists and bandits/kidnappers etc, something all Nigerians and foreigners can attest to. But that has changed. Nigerians seem to be sleeping with two eyes open. They are investing in vigilante and embarking on taking more security measures which is costing huge financial burden. Many wish the days of Abba Kyari can still come. Since, the creation of the Nigerian Police Force, no officer has been able to do what he did in combating heinous crimes like terrorism, kidnappings, armed robbery, murders etc despite claims by some envious individuals, who believe they were more qualified to be in charge and be awarded medals than Kyari,” he said. Further, he wondered why Nigerians are going to be allowed to suffer because some few envious senior officers in the police and other sister agencies don’t want to see Abba Kyari in service.

As reported in Vanguard Newspaper of September 5, 2022, a group of Taraba Youths known as Taraba Youths Frontiers led by one Usman Baba Maito praised Abba Kyari for his heroic deeds while he held sway as the head of the IGP-IRT squad. At a Town Hall Meeting in Jalingo the group lauded the lofty role played by Kyari and his team in rooting out the criminal elements in the state noting that it was Kyari that apprehended the notorious kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala, otherwise known as Wadume and hundreds of other kidnappers and bandits that terrorised Taraba State.

The leader of the group recalled with nostalgia some of the exploits did by Abba Kyari in their state. Hear him, “In late 2020, Kyari also arrested the notorious kidnap kingpin, Abdulkarim Yunusa Aka Italia and 22 of his gang members terrorizing Taraba State. 16 AK 47 rifles were recovered. They confessed to have kidnapped over 100 Taraba indigenes and killed over 10 victims…“We can all remember how the notorious kidnapper Mohammed Musa, aka Dogo and his gang of kidnappers terrorising Taraba State were arrested by Kyari-led IRT in 2020 and 7 Kidnapped victims were rescued from the group.

This is in addition to the 2021 arrest of 18 notorious kidnappers in Taraba State led by Husseni Seini aka Dogo, 44 years and Yusuf Abubakar 31 years. These men confessed to the kidnapping of the Taraba State House of Assembly member, Mohammed Bashir Bape and many other kidnappings and killings in the state. Over 14 Ak47 rifles were recovered from them. Also a notorious arms supplier to bandits and kidnappers in Taraba State, Yakubu Kachalla Shehu, was equally arrested by Kyari and many Ak47 rifles were recovered from him.

The group therefore called on the release of Kyari unconditionally wondering why the government would respond to an obvious set up by some envious colleagues in an agency, who were trying to cover their indicted Officers in Enugu Airport and get the best hand in the Nigerian security system has been locked up. According to him, “no country progresses like this. How can envious colleagues, who set the best hand up, force the government to lock up its best hand? The government acted hastily and it is not in good Faith. No wonder insecurity has taken over the country.”

Yushau A. Shuaibu, the author of the award-winning Crisis Communication Strategies while acknowledging DCP Abba Kyari’s exploit in crime Cable News of August 8, 2021 believed that it was the mismanagement of the spotlight on Kyari that created the problem. The media showed great interest in his exploits and heaped more praise on Abba Kyari instead of his team. He was of the view that the police authorities were complicit in the case by not prewarning Abba to tread with caution while he savored the attention and the accolades that came with his achievement.

Sufianu Adamu writing in an online journal believes that the reinstatement of Abba Kyari is important for the security of the nation noting that that those opposed to it are not interested in justice but vengeance. He opined that those attacking Abba are agents of criminals and Kyari’s envious colleagues.

However, all these was not to assume that everyone was on Abba Kyari side but even those who do not agree with him admit that Abba Kyari is a super hero. For instance, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN writing in the Sahara Reporters of March 15, 2022 said among other things that: “Abba Kyari began his ascent into limelight with his appointment as the officer in charge of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State in January 2011. He went on to carve a niche for himself by busting syndicates of criminals – armed robbers, kidnappers, drug barons and internet fraudsters, amongst others…Kyari was the poster boy of the local law enforcement, the pride of a crime-fighting organization that had lost touch with the people and short of a real role model…He bestrode the nation’s crime scene like an oriental potentate, picking off criminals like sitting ducks, hounding crooked elements into the clanger with precision… Kyari was the darling of the media, to the extent that almost all victims wanted his midas touch in handling their cases.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK