REPS MAY REVIEW HONOUR CONFERRED ON POLICE OFFICER AFTER FBI INDICTMENT

The House of Representatives has said Abba Kyari will remain its honouree until he is found guilty of the allegations against him by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States.

Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, has been suspended by the Police Service Commission on the recommendation of the Inspector General of Police IGP, Usman Baba, pending his investigation by Nigeria's police authorities.

In June 2020, the green chambers honoured Borno-born Kyari for his exceptional service to the Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria. The invitation and honour followed a motion moved by the member representing Chibok Federal Constituency in Borno State, Ahmad Jaha, two days earlier. When contacted by the news to speak on the honour bestowed on Kyari, after the police officer was named in a scandal, the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, said the DCP was still innocent until proven.

His words "The position of our law is that you are mnocent until you are proved guilty. It is not the only award that he has. We cannot begin to strip him of his award; he is a suspect at the moment lawmakers are not lawbreakers. The constitution says you are innocent until proved guilty. But if at the end of the day, he is convicted, then the House would have a reason to review its position. But at the moment, he is still under investigation."