Malam Isa Gusau, spokesman of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, has tackled Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, over an issue bordering on mischief.
Kyari, who was suspended by the Police Service Commission and replaced as head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector-General of Police, is currently trying to wash himself off bribery allegations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had indicted him in the ongoing trial of suspected billionaire fraudster, Abbas Ramon, better known as Hushpuppi.
The FBI, which asked the Nigerian authorities to track him down, had said he collected an N8 million bribe in a multimillion dollar scam involving Hushpuppi.
While Kyari denied the allegations, the police set up a committee to probe him.
Amid the probe, a video of Kyari with Governor Babagana Zulum and Senator Kashim Shettima started circulating on social media.
In the video, the embattled officer was seen shaking hands with Zulum as Shettima watched from a distance.
Social media users had said the two top Borno politicians visited Kyari, also an indigene of Borno, to solidarise with him over his travail.
But in a statement on Wednesday night, Gusau set the records straight on the video.
He said Kyari met both men when he visited Shettima’s Abuja residence in June.
Gusau said he had to issue the clarification after Kyari failed to do so despite promising to do the needful when his attention was drawn to the issue.
“Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum and his predecessor, Senator Kashim Shettima do not know the residence of embattled DCP Abba Kyari, let alone visit him. Zulum’s spokesman, has clarified.”
“Gusau said he resorted to issuing the clarification since Abba Kyari who promised issuing the clarification himself did not do so, more than four hours after making the promise.
“Isa Gusau said a video in circulation was recorded by some associates of Abba Kyari at the residence of Senator Kashim Shettima in Abuja on June 30, 2021, when Abba Kyari paid an empathy visit to Shettima following mischievous circulation of rumours that the Senator had died in the UK.
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“Kyari himself had shared the same video on his verified Facebook wall on June 30, shortly after he visited Shettima.
“Kyari who hails from Borno State and in Shettima’s constituency visited the former Governor to wish him well like many others had visited the Senator during the time.
“Gusau released a video of some sympathizers who had also visited the Senator the same period, which showed the senator receiving them in his house, the same place being described as Abba Kyari’s house.
“Gusau also pointed observers to take note of the TV behind Zulum and Abba Kyari with a CNN breaking news on the release of American Comedian actor, Bill Cosby, which, as can be verified by anyone online, happened on June 30, 2021.
“The spokesman called on Abba Kyari to issue a similar clarification as he had promised when the spokesman called his attention to the misrepresentation given the fact it was Kyari himself who took that video and released it on his Facebook page on June 30, 2021,” the statement read.
