By Ahmad Ganga
The arrest of Raymond Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, and the FBI’s revelation that indicted DCP Abba Kyari of being an accomplice to Hushpuppi’s fraudulent activities have exposed the naivety of some Nigerians on social media. Perhaps due to ingrained hatred for the incumbent government or the person of Kyari, many people are vindictively calling for Kyari to “surrender” himself to the FBI. However, this agency has no locus standi to carry out an arrest operation on foreign soils without the consent of the host countries.
Assuming the allegations raised by the FBI is true, America has no authority to arrest Kyari since the crime he was alleged to have committed is on Nigeria’s soil —not the US. Unless Nigeria Police Service Commission constitutes a panel to investigate whether the allegations are true or not; and that he’s found guilty before Nigeria’s government takes further action, the American government has no legal right to dictate whether DCP Kyari is guilty. And this requires due process under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria — not US or FBI’s laws.
However, DCP Kyari has a fixed location which means he’s not on the run. Moreover, since a court in the US granted the arrest warrant — not Nigeria and Abba Kyari is not an American citizen —which gives him the right to fair hearing according to the laws of this land, it’s absurd to see Nigerians haggling to the bone marrow, saying Kyari is guilty of the allegations raised against his personality —even before Nigeria’s government enquires to know whether it’s true or not. But then Nigerians glorify anything foreign as though the foreign lands’ decision is a divine revelation.
I am not in support of Kyari’s heinous relationship with Hushpuppi, neither do I side with many sadists calling for his head. However, I believe there is more than meets the eye to this revelation. Let Nigeria decides whether DCP Kyari is guilty or not through an impending panel of investigation. At the moment, I can’t entirely agree with anyone saying DCP Kyari is culpable until proven by a grand jury.
Ahmad Ganga is a legislative assistant at the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria. He can be reached via ahmadgangaa@gmail.com.
