By Bamidele Ademola-Olateju
He was celebrated as a super cop, then he got drunk on his own supplies. The Grace to grass story of DCP Abba Kyari reminded me of the 1983 film called Scarface. A memorable quote that has become a TV trope came out of the movie. In the movie Elvira Hancock advised Tony Montana who was selling drugs; “Don’t get high on your own supply”. Tony Montana did not heed that advice and he paid the price for it. Often, low level drug dealers and barons, get addicted to drugs by recreationally using their own product.
The story of Abba Kyari is not that of drug consumption, it is about impunity, greed, self-indulgent behavior, about gluttony, about overdoing things, about putting prideful arrogance ahead of duty. DCP Abba Kyari got drunk on adulation and acquisitive greed. How else can one explain a cop under suspension occasioned by an ongoing investigation and still committing crimes? Why was he still on duty, actively policing drugs and trading in it? What does that tell us about our country? How can Nigeria ever be taken seriously? Isn’t this the same country where Tafa Balogun, and IGP was handcuffed and jailed? What happened to us?
While thinking about DCP Abba Kyari, it occurred to me that he actually blurred the distinction between supply chain and value chain. With the aid of his uniform and wide contact with criminals and end-users, he integrated the drug business processes by enabling the supply of drugs in one direction, and adding value as represented by demand and cash flow in the other direction. Smart guy!
It is not unusual to see a bad cop nestled with criminals. What is unusual is that he has taken it higher by exposing the rank impunity and hypocrisy in our law enforcement infrastructure. From being a den of bandits, terrorists, ritualists, fraudsters to a circuit of drug dealers. What more is needed to stink up the world? May God save us from the evil of ourselves.
