A member of the defence team representing former deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Abba Kyari, Hamza Sulieman has clarified what he described as persistent misconceptions surrounding the Federal High Court’s dismissal of the extradition case filed against his client in 2022.
In a statement issued to journalists yesterday in Abuja, Suleiman said that on August 29, 2022, the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissed the extradition case against Kyari and that the Federal Government of Nigeria had not appealed the decision since then.
He said, “Consequently, the dismissal remains valid and binding under Nigerian law. It is important to note that no Nigerian citizen can be extradited to any foreign country without the express approval of a Nigerian court, as clearly stipulated by law.”
Suleiman maintained that, contrary to misleading reports, Kyari never received any money from Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
“Abba Kyari never received a single kobo from Hushpuppi. Likewise, Hushpuppi never reimbursed any expenses incurred by the Nigeria Police Force team that investigated a case he voluntarily reported — concerning a suspect who allegedly threatened his mother,” the lawyer added.
According to Sulieman, the misunderstanding that led to allegations against Kyari stemmed from differences between Nigerian and American legal systems. “In Nigeria, it is not unlawful for a complainant to voluntarily cover basic logistics expenses such as vehicle fuel or accommodation for investigators, given the well-known fact that government funding for police investigation is grossly inadequate.
“However, under American law, even voluntary funding of police operations is considered an offence. The misunderstanding between both legal systems led to the false perception of wrongdoing in this case,” he said.
Suleiman said investigation later revealed that the suspect accused by Hushpuppi of threatening his mother was not an armed robber but a member of his own cyber-fraud syndicate.
“The suspect was detained and granted bail after three weeks due to serious medical conditions — against Hushpuppi’s wishes, as he had demanded the suspect be charged for armed robbery,” Sulieman said.
“When Kyari refused to press such false charges, Hushpuppi became displeased and withheld the voluntary logistics reimbursement he had earlier promised. Kyari never followed up or requested it again,” he said.
The lawyer added that official records clearly showed Kyari had no financial or criminal dealings with Hushpuppi. “Their only interactions were a brief meeting in Dubai in September 2019 when Kyari visited with his family, and two phone conversations in January and May 2020,” he said.
“In those calls, Hushpuppi sought police assistance — one concerning a threat-to-life complaint involving his mother, and another regarding his associate, Martins, who was allegedly defrauded of ₦8 million.
“Kyari received a complaint and evidence from Martins and traced the suspect. He never benefitted financially from any of these complaints,” he said.
Sulieman emphasised that Kyari’s career record remains exemplary despite the chronic underfunding of police operations in Nigeria. “He handled thousands of cases with outstanding results and never demanded or collected money for investigations or favours,” he said.
