IGP didn’t shut IRT, Special Tactical Squads – Force PRO

Muyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, has debunked the report that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, ordered the immediate closure of satellite units of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and Special Tactical Squads across the country.

A report had on Tuesday emerged that the IGP had shut all satellite units of the IRT and Special Tactical Squad in the country.

The report added that the officers serving under the satellite units have been asked to report to the force headquarters in Abuja for debriefing.

However, Adejobi, while reacting to the development, described the report as “untrue”.

“The report is untrue, the IGP didn’t shut IRT and tactical squads in the country,” the Force PRO said.

The latest development is coming barely 24 hours after the suspended Head of IRT, DCP Abba Kyari, was arrested along with four operatives of the IRT by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The concerned officers include ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, ASP John Umoru (at large), Inspr. Simon Agrigba and John Nuhu.

The embattled Kyari was arrested on Monday shortly after he was declared wanted by the NDLEA.

His arrest was in connection with 25kg of cocaine valued at N175 million.

The NDLEA had earlier on Monday released a video showing how Kyari offered an operative of the Agency the sum of $61,400 and negotiated the release of 25kg seized cocaine.

The video showed Kyari entering the sport utility vehicle (SUV) of a senior NDLEA officer.

READ ALSO: NDLEA: Abba Kyari, ACP, ASP, 2 Inspectors in our custody

While inside the vehicle, Kyari did the negotiation in Hausa language.

He was seen showing the anti-drug operative something on his mobile phone.

Thereafter, Kyari handed over bales of United States currency totalling $61,400 for 5kg of cocaine.

The event happened on January 25, 2022 in Abuja.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, at a press conference held at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday said: “With the intelligence at our disposal, the Agency believes strongly that DCP Kyari is a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline, and he needs to answer questions that crop up in an ongoing drug case in which he is the principal actor.”

TheStar