The family of Abba Kyari, the former Deputy Commissioner of Police and ex-head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), has refuted claims that he operated 10 bank accounts holding N200 million.
Describing the reports as false and misleading, they insisted the allegations were fabricated to distort facts in an ongoing asset declaration case.
The controversy surfaced during the latest hearing on March 13, 2025.
In a statement, Daniel Okpotu, the media assistant to the Kyari family, clarified that Kyari maintains accounts in only four banks—UBA, GTB, Sterling, and Access. While he operates a total of 10 accounts across these banks, including savings, current, dollar, and euro accounts, their combined balance is reportedly under N4 million.
The statement further disclosed that Kyari’s foreign currency accounts had been dormant for 12 years, with no recorded transactions. It also highlighted that over 23 years, the total sum of deposits and withdrawals across his accounts, including his salaries and allowances, amounted to N200 million—not as an accumulation of wealth but as part of routine financial transactions.
During the hearing, a prosecution witness confirmed under cross-examination that no funds in Kyari’s accounts were tied to criminal activities. The family accused certain groups of attempting to revive old false claims, similar to those circulated three years ago.
Urging Nigerians to disregard misleading reports, the family emphasized that Kyari has never held more than N5 million in any account over the past decade. They insisted that his financial records are open to verification by any banker in Nigeria.
The statement read:
“Reports suggesting that Abba Kyari operated 10 accounts containing N200 million are entirely false and deliberately fabricated to mislead the public about the asset declaration hearing on March 13, 2025. The verifiable truth is that Kyari holds accounts in only four banks—UBA, GTB, Sterling, and Access—with a total balance of less than N4 million. He also has one dollar and one euro account, both inactive for the past 12 years, with no transactions.”
“For clarity, the total money in all 10 accounts combined is under N4 million. Over the last 23 years, the cumulative deposits and withdrawals—including salaries, allowances, and other legitimate transactions—amount to N200 million. A prosecution witness in court testified that none of these funds are linked to any criminal activity.”
“These same false allegations were spread three years ago in what was clearly a media trial. Wednesday’s hearing was open to the public, yet certain individuals continue to push baseless narratives. Abba Kyari has not had more than N5 million in any account over the past decade. Nigerians should not fall for these misleading reports.”
