Abba Kyari denies N29.9m bribery allegation

Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, has denied the bribery allegation leveled against by one Bako Kyari that he collected the sum of N29.9 from him to facilitate a contract.

Recall that Bako had alleged that the Presidential aide had instructed him to pay one Sani Ado, whom he claimed worked with the Bureau of Public Procurement, the sum of N29.9 million to facilitate the award of a contract to supply 15 Hilux vehicles to the presidential villa.

He also alleged that Kyari used his influence to have the DSS arrested him and forced him to implicate a policeman that he gave him N250,000 to blackmail Kyari, a proposal he rejected.

He said it was Kyari that asked the DSS to release him and promised that the matter was a family one and would be resolved internally.

However, in a statement on Saturday, Kyari said there is no truth in the “malicious story,” adding that has instructed his lawyers to file a libel suit against those who peddled bribery allegation against him.

He also said no amount of mud “will stick or stain my integrity”.

“There is no iota of truth whatsoever even in dreamland in this malicious story. We cannot allow reasoned and reasonable debate to be hijacked by the frenzied fantasies of a cynical and dishonest minority,” he said.

“A lie becomes no less of a lie simply by repetition.”

He insinuated that there was campaign of calumny against him.

“I will continue to ensure that business-as-usual is unsustainable, ask questions and question answers – in the interest of our country, above any other consideration,” he said.

His accuser said he had written a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but the commission refused to treat it, insisting that it could not investigate the president’s aide.

Bako, who is from Bama, Borno state, told Berekete Family that when he lost his father, Kyari came to commiserate with the family and then promised him the contract.

He said on getting to Abuja, he met with Kyari at Caledonia Hotel, Maitama, four times.

Bako alleged that Kyari asked him to pay Ado some money to facilitate the award of the contract.