The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has revealed how Hushpuppi, the embattled Nigerian socialite, hosted Abba Kyari, a deputy commissioner of police (DCP), at his residence in Dubai.
Hushpuppi had earlier alleged that he bribed Kyari to arrest and jail one of his rivals in Nigeria after a dispute over a $1.1 million scam on Qatari businesspeople.
The top detective, however, denied the allegation, claiming that his “hands are clean”.
Kyari also alleged that he only offered to help Hushpuppi after the socialite raised an alarm that Vincent Kelly Chibuzo, his co-fraudster, allegedly threatened his family in Nigeria.
But an investigation by Andrew John Innocenti, a special agent with the FBI, revealed the pair had a long-standing relationship.
According to the report, admitted as evidence at the US district court in California, the DCP first met Hushpuppi in 2018 when he visited him in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The document also revealed that during the visit, Hushpuppi sent a car and his driver to pick up Kyari.
It added that their meeting led to several interactions including the arrest of Chibuzo.
“Based on messages I reviewed, Abbas appears to have first interacted with Kyari in September 2019, when Kyari traveled to the UAE,” the report, obtained by TheCable Lifestyle, read.
“The conversation indicated that Abbas sent a car and driver to drive Kyari during that trip. Soon thereafter, Kyari sent Abbas a video slideshow which showed some personal photographs of Kyari, some of which appeared to have been taken in the UAE.
“Later in September, after Kyari sent Abbas an article that discussed him arresting alleged kidnappers, Abbas wrote, in part, to Kyari, ‘Am really happy to be ur boy,’ and later, ‘I promise to be a good boy to u sir.”
The investigation also revealed that Hushpuppi and Kyari discussed payment for the arrest of Chibuzo.
“Abbas further told Kyari that he wanted to pay money to send Chibuzo to jail for a long time, stating ‘Please sir I want to spend money to send this boy to jail, let him go for a very long time,” it added.
“Kyari responded, ‘Ok bro I understand I will discuss with my team who arrested him . . . And handling the case We will do something about it.’
“Abbas responded, ‘let me know how I can send money to the team sir let them deal with him like an armed robber.”
It also quoted Kyari as replying to Hushpuppi: “OK I will send their account details to you.”
The investigation said, “approximately six minutes later, Kyari provided the account information for a bank account at a Nigerian bank, Zenith Bank, in the name of a person other than KYARI himself.”
It added that Hushpuppi would later respond “Ok sir, tomorrow by noon” — indicating that he would make the payment to Kyari’s team by the next day.
Hushpuppi was arrested in the UAE in June 2020 alongside 11 of his associates over allegations bordering on hacking, impersonation, scamming, banking fraud, and identity theft.
The embattled Instagram celebrity had recently pleaded guilty to the money laundering charges against him, risking 20 years imprisonment.
