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Abba Kyari (born March 17, 1975) is a former Nigerian police officer who was a Deputy Commissioner of Police. He is currently on suspension and has been relieved of all police duties pending the outcome of an internal investigation into his alleged connection with Gucci King, popular alleged fraudster Ramon Abbas “Hushpuppi”. He was also arrested and sent to jail for drug trafficking but on March 5th, 2026 but was freed by James Omotosho.
He was a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Before he was appointed IGP-IRT, he worked as a unit Commander at one of the PMF bases in Lagos before being promoted and moved to the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Who is Abba Ayari?
Abba Kyari was born on September 23, 1952, to a Shuwa Arab family from Borno State, Nigeria. He attended St. Paul’s College in Wusasa, Zaria, and pondered joining the Nigerian Army after receiving advice from notable persons such as Mamman Daura and Ibrahim Tahir.
He graduated from the University of Warwick with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1980, then went on to study law at the University of Cambridge. He was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1983 after completing the Nigerian Law School and receiving a master’s degree in law from Cambridge in 1984.
Kyari also attended the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, and participated in the Harvard Business School Programme for Leadership Development in 1992 and 1994.
DCP Abba Kyari began his professional career at the law firm Fani-Kayode and Sowemimo before joining New Africa Holdings Limited in Kaduna as an editor from 1988 to 1990. In the 1990s, he was Commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in Borno State and Secretary to the Board of African International Bank Limited, a subsidiary of Bank of Credit and Commerce International, from 1990 to 1995.
He later became Executive Director in Charge of Management Services at United Bank for Africa (UBA), and then Managing Director and CEO.
In 2002, he was named Director of Unilever Nigeria and thereafter served on the board of Exxon Mobil Nigeria. Kyari was named Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari on August 27, 2015, and he maintained the job until his death in April 2020.
Controversy
On July 29, 2021, infamous Nigerian fraudster (Ramon Abbas), also known as Hushpuppi, who is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence in the United States for money laundering and cybercrime, named Kyari as a participant in an international scheme to defraud a Qatari school founder and then launder over $1.1 million in illicit proceeds.
A 69-page court document detailed a conflict among members of the crime syndicate, which allegedly drove Vincent to contact the victim and say that Abbas and Juma (also a fraudster) were involved in fraud.
Following this, Abbas allegedly arranged for Vincent to be imprisoned in Nigeria by Kyari. The document further stated that Kyari reportedly handed Abbas account information into which he could put payment for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment.
According to report, Kyari flew to Dubai at Hushpuppi’s request and was treated to a fantastic time, including airport pickup, luxurious hotel accommodations, and a city tour.
DCP Abba Kyari, on the other hand, denied the severe claims against him using his verified Instagram and Facebook pages. Report indicated that the US Department of Justice issued a warrant for Kyari’s arrest and requested his extradition. However, the IGP suspended him pending the investigative committee’s report.
Abba Kyari Drug Involvement and Court Case
On 14 February 2022, a video clip of Kyari was exposed where he negotiated the release of some quantity of seized 25 kg cocaine, and offered $61,400 cash.
On 7 March 2022, Kyari and six others were arraigned by the NDLEA on several charges bordering on conspiracy, obstruction and dealing in cocaine. However, Kyari and four others, who are police officers as well, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them by the anti-narcotics agency.
In May 2024, Abba Kyari was released on bail from the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory after spending 27 months in detention.
As of April 2025, the case continues with the judge declining to quash it following submissions filed by Kyari and his co-defendants.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has exonerated suspended police officer Abba Kyari of an asset declaration lawsuit filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The court concluded that the NDLEA failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, characterising the prosecution’s case as “persecution.”
On March 5, 2026, Kyari and his brothers were freed of all allegations in the FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022 suit, according to the court’s decision.
Abba Kyari Wife
DCP Abba Kyari married Ibrahim Tahir’s sister-in-law and they had four children. He was well-known for his important involvement in Nigerian politics and business, which combined legal expertise with executive leadership.