A federal High Court in Abuja has fixed August 29, this year, for judgment in a suit seeking to extradite a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, to the United States of America for trial in alleged internet fraud.
Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo fixed the date yesterday after taking arguments for and against the suit by parties involved. Nureni Jimoh (SAN), who presented Kyari’s arguments, asked the court to refuse the extradition request on the ground that he committed no offence to warrant the Federal Government to ferry him to the U.S.
The suspended Police Chief informed the court that more than a year before his arrest, he had written the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), notifying them that he had opened a channel of communication with a suspected internet fraudster, Ramon Abass.
In the two letters tendered in court, Kyari explained that the purpose was to give confidence to the suspected fraudster and lure him to come to Nigeria where an ambush was already laid for a sting operation by his own strike force.
Besides, he informed the court that American authorities once commended him for the commitment he was exhibiting in the battle against internet fraud.
He further told the court that the wire fraud charge brought against him by the American government was not known as an offence under Extradition Act and therefore, should not be allowed by the court to be used to extradite him.
However, the Federal Government represented by Mr. Pius Akuta urged the court to discountenance the arguments of the defendant. Akuta said the conditions precedent for extradition have been met by the American government with the filing of the charge against Kyari and a formal application that he be brought to America to establish his guilty or innocence in his indictment for internet fraud.
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