BIGGEST SCANDALS OF THE YEAR 2021: Tiwa Savage and DCP Abba Kyari
Nigerians will not forget in a hurry, the scandals involving music diva, Tiwa Savage, and widely acclaimed ‘super cop’ DCP Abba Kyari. Both of them are celebrities in their own right but they were in the news for the wrong reasons. First was music diva, Tiwa Savage, whose sex tape set cyberspace agog. Social media pulsed with outrage as fans of the music artiste and her critics went to war soon before and after the release of a sex video featuring Savage.
The artiste hinted in an interview with American radio host, Angie Martinez, of Power 105.1 that she was being blackmailed with the sex tape and would rather release it than succumb to the designs of her blackmailer. The prior warning by the Afrobeats singer, predictably, set tongues wagging.
At the heel of her disclosure during the interview, the divorced mother of one revealed that the video features her and her current partner and that her blackmailer commenced his threats immediately after it was mistakenly uploaded online by her partner.
Savage claimed that although the latter promptly deleted the video soon after he accidentally posted it on Snapchat, in error, it was too late.
She said, “Yesterday, I was leaving a radio station and I was in my car when my road manager sent me a message. She said I should check my phone. I checked it and there was a video, and I was just like ‘Wow!’,” she told Martinez.
“I asked him where he got it from and he said he received it about 20 minutes earlier. The video was sent to him and it is a tape of me and the person I am dating right now. The first thing I did after I got off the phone was that I sent it to my manager and asked what we should do.
“The person is asking for money now. The person I am dating is going crazy too. My manager asked how much the person is asking for.”
But the singer said she had decided not to pay the blackmailer because blackmailers usually come for more.
“I decided I was not going to pay the person because if I do, two months from now, three months down the line, or even two years later, you are going to come back again. Who knows, if I send the money, the person will probably release it. I am not going to let anyone blackmail me for doing something natural.”
The singer further stressed that she will not give a dime to her blackmailers. Savage stated that she could release the video herself because she is ‘that crazy’.
The news caught the attention of her fans in Nigeria and across the world. When the video was later leaked online it sparked conversation both online and offline.
Just before Savage’s sex debacle, Nigerians stirred to the shocking news of popular supercop and head of the Nigerian Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abba Kyari’s alleged complicity in fraudulent transactions involving suspected internet fraudster, Abbas Ramon, aka Hushpuppi.
The United States (US) crime fighter, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in investigations made the declaration indicting Kyari in a $1.1m fraud case alongside five others, including United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Abbas.
The FBI had reportedly filed a criminal complaint at the United States District Court in California listing Abbas Ramon, aka Hushpuppi; and Kyari among others indicted in the $1.1m international fraud conspiracy.
Other suspects include AbdulRahman Juma (Abdul); Vincent Kelly Chibuzo (Kelly); Rukayat Motunrayo Fashola
(Morayo); and Bolatito Tawakalitu Agbabiaka (Bolamide).”
Until his indictment, Kyari was seen as a fearless crime fighter and outstanding officer presumably honest and committed to his work.
He was particularly notable for arresting the dreaded billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans, and ending the reign of terror of armed robbers and kidnappers in the southeast, among other numerous heroic exploits.
At his indictment, Kyari’s critics emerged from the woodwork claiming that he had always been a suspicious cop whose association with questionable characters were red flags that ought to have been taken cognizance of.
Kyari, according to an FBI affidavit is “alleged to have arranged for Vincent, Abbas’ rival in crime to be arrested and jailed at Abbas’ behest, and then sent Abbas photographs of Vincent after his arrest.
“Kyari also allegedly sent Abbas bank account details for an account into which Abbas could deposit payment for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment.”
But in a swift rebuttal on Facebook, Abba Kyari denied the allegations claiming the only monetary transaction between him and Abbas was the N300,000 sent by the latter to him for onward payment to his cloth vendor. Kyari said he introduced the tailor to Abbas after the latter expressed the desire to buy some native attires he (Kyari) shared on his Facebook page.
Further allegations held that Kyari abandoned his official duty post in September 2019, and flew to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to frolic with the most wanted internet conman,s according to the FBI.
