In a warm handshake with Governor Ambode is Abba Kyari, more like a real life Jack Bauer:
In 2011, my car was snatched from me by robbers at gunpoint. That scary
experience brought me face to face with and later close to one of
Nigeria’s smartest serving police men alive. His soft voice, boyish
look, gentle mien and calm disposition belie the lion heart, sharp
instincts and intellect and ruthless efficiency of a master
crime-buster. Call him Nigeria’s Jack Bauer (of the series 24 fame) and
you will not be wrong.
Last weekend, not a few Nigerians were excited by the news of the rescue
of the three kidnapped female students from Babington Seminary,
Ikorodu, Lagos, and the arrest of the culprits. The man who cracked the
horrible crime was none other than CSP Abba Kyari, O/C IGP Intelligence
Response Team (IRT), a position he was fittingly and deservedly given by
the current IGP, Solomon Arase.
Being a “Lagos Boy”, it was only natural that he was brought in to crack
the case, and crack the case he did! Just like he found my stolen car
back in 2011!
A 1997 Geography graduate of the University of Maiduguri, Abba grew up
in Maiduguri, Borno State, where he attended Government Primary and
Secondary Schools in Maiduguri. He did his National Youth Service Corps
(NYSC) in Akwa Ibom State in 1998 and joined the Nigeria Police Force as
Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 2000. 16 years after, he
has earned for himself the reputation of a diligent, no-nonsense and
intelligence officer, such that the police authorities and politicians
are proud to have and work with. And from get go, he demonstrated to his
bosses that he knew why he joined the force, and has kept at it.
After completing his training in the Police Academy WudilKano, Kyari was
posted to Adamawa State where he served in Song, Girei and Numan Local
Government Area with remarkable successes in crime bursting. He stood
out when he led the arrest of a notorious armed robber called, ‘Ndagi’
a.k.a Spirit. Spirit held Numan, the third biggest town in Adamawa State
hostage for several years before his eventual arrest. From then, there
was no looking back for this intelligent officer with a sharp
investigative mind and sometimes deadly courage.
Kyari joined the Police Mobile Force, popularly known as Mopol in 2005
and was there for about five years until his posting to Lagos Command
October in 2010. He was deployed as the second in command (2/IC) to SARS
and later became the OC SARS on January 15, 2011. It was said that the
then Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, who decorated him with
several awards, resisted ceaseless attempts by the Police high Command
to have Kyari redeployed out of Lagos. This was on account of his
amazing achievements in combating the menace of armed robbery and
kidnapping in Lagos.
Kyari has a long litany of exploits under his belt. He was instrumental
in the arrest of the most notorious armed robber in the South West, Mr.
Abiodun Egunjobi, otherwise known as Godogodo. Godogodo was arrested in
Ibadan, Oyo State, with some of his gang members. SARS recovered 42 AK47
rifles from the gang. Godogodo confessed to have killed over 150
Nigerians, including over 50 policemen during his 10 years reign as the
kingpin of South West armed robbers.
There was also the arrest of Benjamin Osinachi a.k.a China and his
entire gang of kidnappers based in Ghana, but operated in Nigeria. Their
victims included a sitting High Court Judge, a sitting local government
chairman, many expatriates, amongst others. China and his gang members
held South West residents by the jugulars for long. But Kyari with his
men, were said to have deployed, “Advanced Technology and brought the
kidnappers down.” Several AK47 rifles and thousands of ammunitions were
recovered from the gang.
The defeat of Mr. Andrew and his gang of deadly kidnappers in Igando
area of Lagos metropolis was spearheaded by Kyari and his men. SARS
recovered 12 AK47 rifles, GPMGs and rocket launchers from the gang. Also
during his tenure in Lagos, SARS arrested Chinansa and gang in the
Ajangbadi area of Lagos. The SARS men recovered 11 AK47 rifles, rocket
launchers and GPMGs from them.
There was also the shocking arrest of the General Overseer of a church
located at Ejigbo. The General Overseer was part of the gang of robbers
that attacked the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The gang was
later discovered to have operated at Ogun, Kwara and Rivers States. When
they were eventually arrested, police recovered five AK47 rifles and
GPMGs.
Kyari was also instrumental in the arrest of the kidnappers of former
Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo Iweala’s mother. The kidnappers used to
operate in Delta, Edo and Port Harcourt. This gang killed the former
deputy Governor of Anambra State and kidnapped the wife of a sitting
Supreme Court Judge.
Kyari and his men also arrested the kidnappers that abducted Dangote’s
cousin. Another gang that kidnapped a British citizen, Mr. Dickson Lee,
along the International Airport Road, was also defeated. The Briton was
kidnapped moments after landing in Nigeria. There was the arrest of
Obinna in Onitsha. Obinna was the most notorious sponsor and kingpin of
robbers who specialized in hijacking trailers carrying containers. SARS
has also in its feather, the arrest of Emmanuel aka Arab. Arab and his
gang members were described as deadly. 12 AK 47 rifles, including four
AK47 rifles belonging to Policemen they killed during bank robbery in
Kwara State were recovered from them. Kyari and his men led the rescue
of a young Kwara female model in Delta State. The policeman and his men
also led in the rescue operation of Alhaji Fashola, owner of Kings
Petroleum in Isheri Oshun, Lagos.
Lagos residents cannot forget the arrest of the nanny who kidnapped
three boys belonging to same parents. The kids were called ‘the Orekoyas
kids’. The nanny was arrested within three days that the case was
transferred to Kyari and his men. Few days before Kyari got his posting
letter to Abuja, he led the arrest of Lekki armed robbers who attacked
the First City Monument Bank (FCMB). They killed three policemen and a
girl who was hawking fish, carted away money and escaped through the
waterways.
Splintered members from the Lekki bank robbery gang recently attacked
banks at Ijede and Ogolonto areas of Ikorodu, Lagos. They escaped, as
usual, through the waterways and Kyarideployed his Technology and
arrested four of the Ikorodu bank robbers.
Kyari has received a lot of awards to mark his achievements. But to
mention a few; there’s the IGP Commendation Award for Courage 2012,
2013, 2014. Governors Award for Gallantry, Leadership and Service
excellence 2011, 2012, 2013. There’s Commissioner of Police Commendation
Award for Courage 2011. Best Anti- Crime Police Officer in West Africa
from Security Watch Africa, Star Award from CRAN 2011, 2012, 2013 and
2014.
A very shy guy, Abba wouldn’t talk about his work and how he does it,
but his men and people who have come across him would attest to the fact
that his best attribute is that he sees himself as a Team Leader and
not a boss in the discharge of his duties and co-ordination of men and
resources to fight crime and criminals. One of his boys told me that”
“OC is a whiz kid. He is too much. He understands technology and uses it
to track down criminals. Also, he is a leader. He motivates us his men.
We eat and drink with him. He attends our weddings, birthdays and
naming ceremonies of our children and funeral of our relatives. In
short, he is like a brother to us and leads from the front. He is always
there for us and even teaches us how to key into technology while doing
our work. In short, the OC is wonderful.”
So, here’s a brilliant officer who is also a great leader, who is ever
ready to learn and teach others so the war against crime and criminals
may succeed. No wonder the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, like
his predecessor, was full of praises for Abba Kyari as he broke the news
to Lagosians of the rescue of the three female students and the arrest
of their kidnappers. He couldn’t be headed anywhere else but the top
having stayed on top of his game from the moment he joined the Police.
Source: Ever Frank
