Chances of Abba Kyari being extradited grow after he loses case seeking to prevent his arrest

DEPUTY police commissioner Abba Kyari is facing the prospect of extradition to the US to face corruption charges after he lost a high court case today in which his lawyers sought to restrain the security agencies from arresting and extraditing him.

In court documents released by the United States Department of Justice last month, Mr Kyari was said to have been bribed by Nigerian Instagram celebrity Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, to arrest one Kelly Chibuzor Vincent, 40, on trumped-up charges. Mr Kyari was also indicted by a US court as a conspirator in a $1.1m fraudulent deal against a Qatari businessman.

As a result of the indictment, Nigeria’s Police Service Commission (PSC) suspended Mr Kyari from office and as head of the Intelligence Response Team. His suspension followed a recommendation by the inspector-general of police Usman Baba, as a temporary measure while his relationship with Hushpuppi was being investigated.

Given that the US want him extradited, Mr Kyari went to court filing an ex-parte application to restrain the Nigeria Police Force and the attorney-general of the federation from arresting and extraditing him. Today, however, a federal high court in Abuja presided over by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, rejected his application, saying the ex-parte motion should be converted to a motion on notice.

Mr Kyari’s motion was filed by a group known as the Incorporated Trustees of the Northern Peace Foundation through their lawyer, Kayode Ajulo. In their suit, the queried the propriety of the alleged threat to arrest and extradite Mr Kyari in relation to his indictment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US.