Hushpuppi Fraud Case: “Kyari can turn himself in if he is sure of his innocence” – Former APC legal adviser, Muiz Banire (SAN)

Muiz Banire, a former Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has urged Abba Kyari, suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, to surrender to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, if he is innocent of the allegations against him.

Kyari was linked to an international fraudster, Abbas Ramon aka Hushpuppi.

Hushpuppi, who has been in a US jail for one year after he was arrested in Dubai for defrauding a Qatari businessman of $1.1million, alleged that he paid bribes to Kyari to help arrest his gang member, Chibuzor.

Following these allegations, the United States’ FBI had issued a warrant for his arrest.

However, Banire, while appearing on Channels Television: said, “A criminal complaint and an indictment contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

“In my point of view, morally speaking, in allegation of this nature, there is nothing wrong, particularly if the officer is sure of himself, to even turn himself in; because, so far, there is no complications in the matter, and there is nothing wrong in running there to say, ‘Look, I want to clear my reputation.’

“So, beyond the investigation being done by the (Force headquarters) government, he can also avail himself of the opportunity that is already afforded. So, as far as law is concerned, what is being done is due process.

“But be that as it may, my expectation is that, before we can even go to that level, the preliminary investigation as it is about to be done is necessary for us to establish a prima facie case before we can trigger the process of any extradition.”