Human rights group, Centre For Democracy and Human Rights, CEDEHUR, has urged President Bola Tinubu to look at the antecedents of erstwhile Head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigerian Police, Abba Kyari and free him from long detention.

Kyari has been in detention over alleged drug deals, an allegation he has denied and is facing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

CEDEHUR in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Azeez Folusho, celebrated Kyari for his exploits against kidnappers and terrorists especially the recently concluded sentencing of Offa Bank Robbers, he led his team to arrest some years ago.

The Offa bank robbery happened in Kwara State on April 5, 2018, claiming 31 lives altogether and is the single most deadliest robbery incident in Nigerian history.

The group said “the arrest, prosecution and sentencing to death of five Offa robbery gangs would have been a mirage without the absolute commitment, uncommon ingenuity and supersonic intelligence of the Nigerian Super Cop, Abba Kyari who’s currently incarcerated on trumped up charges.”

The group explained that following the incident, the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, directed Abba Kyari, to relocate to Offa and lead the investigation. “Kyari, ever ready to serve his fatherland, immediately obeyed the call of duty,” the group said.

Abba Kyari, then an Assistant Commissioner of Police and head of the Police Intelligence Response Team, “arrived in Offa town with his team to assess the situation and track down the perpetrators. As usual he followed up the case with doggedness and calculated use of advanced technology in getting the deadly armed robbers arrested.

“The police team led by Kyari were able to arrest 12 additional suspects in connection with the robbery, recovering items such as handsets, iPads, and SIM cards belonging to the victims.

It is “soul lifting that, on Thursday a Kwara State High Court sentenced the five suspects to death by hanging for their role in the infamous bank robbery. The convicted suspects, Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham, were found guilty of armed robbery, culpable homicide, and illegal possession of firearms.

“The suspects also made off with 21 brand new AK-47 rifles from the police station’s armoury in the devastating attack, which claimed the lives of nine policemen and several civilians during the daring robbery that targeted at least five commercial banks in Offa town.”

The judge, Justice Haleemah Salman, handed down the sentence after a three-and-a-half-hour judgment, in which he also imposed a three-year prison sentence for illegal possession of firearms. The prosecution views this verdict as a closure for the victims’ families and a deterrent to potential criminals.

The group argued that “as this sentence marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the victims and their loved ones, the Nigerian state needs to revisit Abba Kyari’s case and acquit him of the unfounded allegations levelled against.

“It has been proven repeatedly that the then Deputy Commissioner of Police is merely a victim of media trial before the actual judicial trial upon which the judges have been adjudicating over trumped up charges.”

The group stated that “his alleged link with Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, alias Hushpuppi which was highly exaggerated by the media and sponsored by some very rich criminal groups he fought doggedly during his service, has been dismissed by the Federal High Court 5 on 29/8/2022.”

Given Abba Kyari’s contributions to solving this case, likewise thousands of similar others, the group said “Nigerians are calling for his acquittal from the trumped up allegations levelled against him, citing that he’s a victim of media trial and set up. They argue that his unprecedented and unparalleled expertise is needed to address Nigeria’s current security challenges.

“The Nigeria Police Force and the Presidency at this crucial moment of overwhelming security challenges need the services of Abba Kyari to step in and arrest the drift and revamp the almost collapsed and overwhelmed security architecture.

“Keeping our best hands away in prison custody on grounds of unproven allegations while the nation groans under insecurity and citizens’ blood flowing from bandits’ daily senseless attacks is a complete embrace for the looming anarchy.

“Nigeria is indeed a strange place because unlike other climes like the US, officers and citizens like Abba Kyari would not have been incarcerated in such trump up charges that have remained unproven while terrorists, bandits and armed robbers are having a field day, terrorising, kidnapping and making life miserable for helpless citizens.

“Leadership is about taking a hard decision and in Abba Kyari’s case, it’s an easy decision to make – that the country’s best hands should lead the fight against threats. The last thing the country needs now is the increasing budget on insecurity in the absence of resources yet in the presence of people like Abba Kyari who can simply solve the problems.”

The group listed some achievements of Abba Kyari and urged the president to do the right thing.