Claim: A Facebook user claims Abba Kyari was spotted in Australia, hours after the Kuje prison attack.
Our findings show that the website, whose link was attached to this claim, is not genuine. The spokesperson of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) also confirmed that Abba Kyari is still in custody. Therefore, the claim is false.
Full Text
Following the recent attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre Abuja by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, that allowed hundreds of inmates to escape, a claim that suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has also escaped to Australia had been circulating on Facebook.
Two pictures were attached to the claim. While one showed the back view of a man about to enter a motionless vehicle, the other showed the face of Abba Kyari wearing his police uniform.
The claim reads:
“Hours after Kuje prison attack, Abba Kyari Spotted in Australia”
One of the posts which had already gathered 524 reactions, 109 comments and 75 shares has also sprouted a debate among users who believed it to be true and others,who did not.
For instance, Oluebube Abel, a user who believed the claim, said Mr Kyari’s escape was planned.
“I won’t doubt it. It was a game they intentionally played against the 2023 election to have standby thugs but they won’t succeed,” he said.
However, Isabella Stevenson was doubtful of the claim. “Isn’t possible for him to be in Australia because Australia isn’t Dubai that you get your visa within 24hrs,” the user wrote.
Who is Abba Kyari?
Famous for his exploits, Mr Kyari is a Nigerian Deputy Commissioner of Police who is now suspended for misconduct.
Before his fall, “he recorded headline-grabbing milestones including the arrests of kidnapping kingpins Evans, in Lagos, and Wadume, in Taraba, and led the rescue of a relative of President Muhammadu Buhari from a kidnappers’ den in Kano.”
In March 2022, after he was charged for drug trafficking with six others, the Federal High Court Abuja ordered his transfer to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
In the past, DUBAWA has found claims like this to be discordant. Hence, the reason for this fact-check.
Verification
DUBAWA first clicked a link attached to the claim. As described, it was supposed to lead to a video which shows Mr Kyari in Australia, but contrarily, it led to a blog that displayed an unrelated article.
Unlike typical blogs that permit users to read content, this particular one, “worlnews.space” almost instantly redirects one to an advert. Efforts to disable the advert proved abortive. Rather, it further instructs users to download a mobile application.
Also, DUBAWA analysed the background details of the site through Scamvoid, a tool used to check the integrity of websites. Results showed that the site had only existed for five months.
DUBAWA further conducted a Google keyword search and found a recent news article by Premium Times which affirms the safety of Abba Kyari.
As reported, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Umar Abubakar, who provided details about the attack confirmed that the suspended police officer did not escape.
His statement reads in part:
“The Service will deploy its Corrections Information Management System (CIMS) in synergy with National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to track all fleeing inmates and return them to custody. This is also to confirm to the general public that DCP Abba Kyari and other VIPs held in the facility did not escape. They are presently in custody, hale and hearty.”
The same was also reported by Vanguard, DailyTrust and other reputable news outlets.
Conclusion
Our findings show that the website, whose link was attached to this claim, is not genuine. Also, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has confirmed that Abba Kyari is still in custody. The claim is, therefore, false.
