The arrest of Nigerian “super cop” Abba Kyari on drug-trafficking charges has laid bare the “public bickering” between two of Nigeria’s law enforcement bodies, an analyst tells BBC Focus on Africa.
“There was a kind of attempt to protect [Mr Kyari] from investigation,” says Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development.
“We got to this point due to the refusal of the Nigerian police to release Kyari immediately to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency [NDLEA].”
She notes that the police only handed over Mr Kyari once it also publicly indicted a number of NDLEA officers accused of being involved in the drug-smuggling.
The real challenge is the “clean-up” they’ll now have to do to “convince” the Nigerian people, Ms Hassan tells the BBC.
“There is only one Nigeria and all these agencies are expected to work together. It doesn’t infuse the trust citizens want to have.”
But she believes the spat will “have a positive impact because people will know there are no sacred cows. Even with the slight on their integrity by the police I think the [NDLEA] will want to do more”. (BBC)
