Saturday, July 12, 2025

U.S. Court orders FBI to arrest, detain Abba Kyari over Hushpuppi multimillion-dollar fraud

Judge Wright’s permission for the FBI to arrest Mr Kyari and hold him in U.S. custody was unsealed on July 26.

• July 29, 2021
Abba Kyari
Abba Kyari

A warrant of arrest has been issued for Nigeria’s police commissioner Abba Kyari, Peoples Gazette can report based on court documents.

Otis Wright of the United States District Court for the Central District of California ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to track down Mr Kyari and produce him in the United States for his role in a multi-million dollar fraud perpetrated by Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas, a notorious Nigerian fraudster.

Mr Abbas was arrested in Dubai last June and he pleaded guilty to fraud in the U.S. this week. The FBI said Messrs Abbas and Kyari have been friends and were both involved in a conspiracy to launder money. 

Mr Kyari was also indicted for receiving bribes from Mr Abbas to arrest a member of the syndicate in Nigeria. 

American prosecutors first sought a court warrant to arrest Mr Kyari on February 12, 2021, according to court documents seen by The Gazette. Another warrant was requested on April 29, 2021.

Judge Wright’s permission for the FBI to arrest Mr Kyari and hold him in U.S. custody was unsealed on July 26. 

Mr Kyari in a hurried statement denied allegations of conspiracy with Hushpuppi, saying he only met him two years ago and did not benefit financially from the fraudster.

It was not immediately clear whether or not an extradition request has been filed for Mr Kyari. Attorney-General Abubakar Malami did not immediately return a request seeking comments from The Gazette.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

Abubakar Kyari

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Corps members as Polling Officers

Lagos

NSCDC hails peaceful conduct of Lagos LG polls

The commandant also praised voters for cooperating with security personnel across various polling units.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar

NationWide

Air chief reaffirms commitment to veterans’ welfare, operational excellence

The CAS stressed that their experience remained invaluable, particularly as the operational environment became more complex and dynamic.

Tinubu with APC leaders in party attire

Politics

Lagos LG polls dress rehearsal for 2027 elections: APC

“There is no doubt around the APC victory, but it is how massive the voting is. This is because this local government election is a preparation for the 2027 election,” said APC.

NEMA officials at flooded area

States

NEMA rallies Kwara stakeholders ahead of predicted floods

The NEMA boss explained that the discussion included strategies for managing disaster risks and safeguarding communities.

Ex speaker Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila

Politics

Tinubu’s chief of staff Gbajabiamila welcomes ADC coalition

The chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has welcomed the adoption of the African Democratic Congress by opposition leaders.