Hushpuppi: The Conversation that nailed ACP Abba Kyari

An official document of the United States District Court has revealed the conversation between Ramon Olorunwa Abass, popularly known as Hushpuppi, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, in charge of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IGPIRT).

The matter is in respect of the arrest and detention of one Vincent Kelly Chibuzor by the special police unit at the instance of Hushppupi over a failed deal between him and the web developer. It is being alleged that the security officers were paid to do the job.

Hushpuppi and his Kenyan partner, Abdulrahman Imraan Juma, had fallen out with Chibuzor (a web developer) after Chibuzor felt that he was being underpaid for his work on the fake Wells Fargo website and then contacted the victim businessperson directly.

Abba Kyari PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ABBA KYARI

In September 2019, Kyari travelled to the United Africa Emirate (U.A.E) where he is alleged to have first interacted with Hushpuppi. Thereafter, Kyari sent an article that discussed him arresting alleged kidnappers, which Hushpuppi, in part, responded to:

Hushpuppi: “Am really happy to be ur boy, I promise to be a good boy to u, sir.

In early December 2019, Hushpuppi joined Juma in the conspiracy to defraud a Qatari businessman and contacted Chibuzor to create a fraudulent Wells Fargo Bank website and an automated phone line that would convince the victim that the $15 million loans he needed had been secured.

In January 2020, Chibuzo became unhappy and sent Hushpuppi a message “to show that he was unhappy with the amount that, and/or speed with which Hushpuppi was paying him.” In anger, he contacted the victim’s businessperson and exposed the fraud directly.

On January 13, 2020, Hushpuppi sent to Kyari a phone number without providing any additional details. Just before forwarding the phone number to him, Hushpuppi placed a nearly five-minute call to Kyari.

On January 16, 2020, Hushpuppi sent a message to Kyari on WhatsApp and then placed five calls to another phone number (+2348060733588) that was listed as “Abba Kyari.” Call records show that the last three of the calls were answered and that one of them lasted more than two minutes. Shortly after that, Hushpuppi received a message from Kyari:

Kyari: We would pick him today or tomorrow.
Hushpuppi: I will take care of the team also after they pick him up.

Kyari: Yes ooo.

The chats between Hushpuppi and Kyari that followed immediately after Hushppupi received Kyari’s message went thus:
Hushpuppi: That is him, sir.

Kyari: We have arrested the guy . . . He is in my cell now. This is his picture after we arrested him today.
Hushpuppi: I want him to go through the serious beating of his life.

Kyari: Hahahaha
Hushpuppi: Seriously sir.

The audio chats after, in which Kyari asked for details about Chibuzor so as to know what to do, went thus:
Kyari: So that we will know what to do.

Hushpuppi: What he did is, I have one job. The job wants to pay me 500, umm, 75,000 dollars (i.e., $575,000)z. He went to message the job behind me because I tell him to help me make one document for me to give the job. Then he went—he has a—I gave him the details. Then he went to message the job behind my back and try to divert the money and in this process, he tells the job because of the documents he gave me that I gave the job. He tells the job that ‘…these document they sent to you before. These people are fake. This money—is me who can help you to get it. Come to me—bring this money you want to pay these people to me. I’m the only one who can help you.’ He tells all these things to divert the job for himself.

The chats immediately after went thus:

Kyari: Ok, I understand. But he has not succeeded.

Hushpuppi: Now the job (victim businessperson) was skeptic to pay me the money cos he keeps attacking the (victim businessperson) from his end. Now I can handle the (victim businessperson) correctly. Please sir, I want to spend money to send this boy to jail. Let him go for a very long time.

Kyari: Ok bro, I understand. I will discuss with my team who arrested him . . . and is handling the case. We will do something about it.

Hushpuppi: Let me know how I can send money to the team sir. Let them deal with him like armed robber.
Kyari: Okay. I will send their account details to u.

Hushpuppi: He betrays me and try to take food out of my mouth, this is a great punishable sin,
Kyari: Yeah bro.

Hushpuppi: I want him to suffer for many years.
Kyari: Hahahaha! Hahahaha.

Approximately six minutes later, Kyari provided the information for an account at a bank (in Nigeria) in the name of a person other than Kyari himself.

Hushpuppi: Ok sir, tomorrow by noon (indicating that he would make the payment to Kyari’s team by the next day.)
Payment made

According to the FBI investigations, the amounts on the transaction receipts intercepted from one of Hushpuppi’s associates who was arrested with him in Dubai and who made the payment totalled N8million, which was approximately $20,600 based on publicly available exchange rate information.

On February 19, 2020, Kyari sent Hushpuppi a message.

Kyari: Hello hush with [sic] need to talk about the subject under detention with me.
Hushpuppi: Should I call u on this number sir?
Kyari: Yes call me.

On February 20, Kyari sent Hushpuppi multiple photographs of Chinbuzor, including close-up photographs, showing a rash or skin disease on Chibuzor’s torso and arms.

Hushpuppi: I don pity am, make them leave am from Tuesday.
Kyari: Ok bro, they just brought him from hospital. The fever and the rashes are giving him serious Wahala. He got the disease from other suspects in the cell.

Hushpuppi: I see am, I no too pity am. That’s what people like him deserve, but I go forgive am for God’s sake.
Hushpuppi informed Kyari that Chibuzor’s girlfriend reached out that they were raising N1million to bail him and he promised to contribute N100,000.

Kyari: They were thinking it’s normal arrest, that is why they think money can remove him . . . No money can remove him here. Hahahaha.
Hushpuppi: But it’s better for them to think that way. I like it like that.
Kyari: Yeah.

Hushpuppi gave Kyari his blessing to release Chibuzor from custody.
Hushpuppi: No problem sir, from Tuesday he can go.

Kyari: Ok bro. We will also keep his phone and other gadgets for some weeks.
Hushpuppi: Yes, those ones they should not give him again, those ones are gone. . Make the man no see those ones again for life.

Kyari: Yes, he will not see them again.

*The excerpts of the conversation between Huspuppi and Kyari was extracted from the official document of the U.S district court for the Central District of California, prepared by Andrew John Innocenti, Special Agent, FBI.