Abba Kyari, the embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, has been suspended by the Police Service Commission (PSC), FIJ understands.

Details of his suspension were made known in a statement released on Sunday afternoon by Ikechukwu Ani, spokesman of the commission.

“Abba Kyari’s suspension took effect from Saturday, July 31st 2021 and would subsist pending the outcome of the investigation in respect of his indictment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States,” the statement read.

“The Commission has also directed the Inspector General of Police to furnish it with information on further developments on the matter for necessary further action.

“The Commission’s decision which was conveyed in a letter with reference, PSC/POL/D/153/vol/V/138 to the Inspector General of Police today, Sunday, August 1st, 2021, was signed by Hon. Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Honourable Commissioner 1 in the Commission for the Commission’s Chairman, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector General of Police who is currently on leave.”

Earlier on Sunday, Frank Mba, the spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force, had announced that Usman Alkali, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), had recommended Kyari’s uspension to the PSC.

The suspension came after Kyari was indicted in an intentional multi-million dollars internet scam perpetrated by Abass Rahmon, alias Hushpuppy.

According to the United State’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kyari had conspired with six others, including the Nigerian Instagram celebrity Hushpuppi, to defraud a business person of over $1m.