THE Police High Command has begun moves to sanitise its Intelligence Response Team, IRT, following the arrest of its former Commander, DCP Abba Kyari, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, last week, over his indictment in the 25kg cocaine deal .
As at yesterday, Vanguard gathered that all state coordinators and team leaders in IRT annexes who were summoned to Abuja last Friday, would be deployed to other departments.
Similarly, operatives who have spent up to five years in the IRT , are likely to be deployed too, as they have already been directed to discontinue all investigations at the annexes .
Information at Vanguard’s disposal revealed that the Inspector-General of Police ,IGP Usman Alkali Baba , who was displeased with the ongoing cocaine saga , summoned a management meeting last Friday to deliberate on DCP Kyari’s indictment.
He is expected to meet with key officers in the operations department between today and tomorrow to chart a new course for the IRT.
Kyari as NDLEA probes N3bn Tramadol seizure
Sources told Vanguard that before Kyari’s earlier suspension over his indictment by Ramon Abass, popularly known as Hushpuppi, in his ongoing trial at a United States of America’s court, the Police High Command usually sent memos to IRT commanders and other tactical squads , cautioning them to avoid the mistakes committed by operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.
Vanguard was also reliably informed that IGP Baba personally invited DCP Abba Kyari to his office on several occasions to get a one-on-one debrief on activities in the IRT, by way of checkmating the tactical unit.
Sources said: “ IGP Alkali Usman was disappointed when he was informed about Kyari’s latest indictment. This was because he reposed so much trust and confidence in him, owing to the sterling breakthroughs the IRT had made since inception.
”That was why he did not waste time to ensure all those involved were rounded up and handed over to the NDLEA.
“At present, he is making a move to deploy those who have stayed over five years in IRT. There are operatives who have been there since inception and have never been transferred. Names of all the operatives have been compiled for onward redeployment.
“ As part of the process, he has also called for investigation of some of the cases handled that had nothing to do with kidnapping. All IRT annexes remain shut at the moment.”
