The governor also said he had never visited the suspended former Head of the Police Intelligence Response Team, who is an indigene of Borno State.

Zulum issued the disclaimer via a Facebook post on Wednesday. The statement was titled, ‘Zulum and Shettima did not visit Abba Kyari, aide clarifies’.

The statement signed by Zulum’s spokesman, Isa Gusau, noted that Zulum and Kyari had separately visited Shettima to wish him a quick recovery on June 30, 2021.

“Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum and his predecessor, Senator Kashim Shettima, do not know the residence of embattled DCP Abba Kyari, let alone visit him, Zulum’s spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau has clarified.

“Gusau said he resorted to issuing the clarification since Abba Kyari who promised issuing the clarification himself did not do so, more than four hours after making the promise to the spokesman.

“Gusau said a video in circulation was recorded by some associates of Abba Kyari at the residence of Senator Kashim Shettima in Abuja on June 30, 2021, when Abba Kyari paid an empathy visit to Shettima following (the) mischievous circulation of rumours that the Senator had died in the UK.

Kyari himself had shared the same video on his verified Facebook wall on June 30, shortly after he visited Shettima.

Kyari, who hails from Borno State and in Shettima’s constituency, visited the former Governor to wish him well like many others had visited the Senator during the time.

“Gusau released a video of some sympathizers who had also visited the Senator the same period, which showed the senator receiving them in his house, the same place being described as Abba Kyari’s house.

“Gusau also pointed observers to take note of the TV behind Zulum and Abba Kyari with a CNN breaking news on the release of American Comedian actor, Bill Cosby, which, as can be verified by anyone online, happened on June 30, 2021.”

The United States District Court for the Central District of California had accused Kyari, Hushpuppi and four others of fleecing the Qatari investor of $1.1m.

Kyari, who has 447,353 followers on Facebook as of the time of filing this report, had taken to the Blueville on July 29, 2021 to chronicle his denial against the allegations by the US court but he later deleted the post.

It was earlier reported that Kyari, who is wanted in the United States by the FBI, appeared before the Special Investigation Panel, headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Joseph Egbunike.

Kyari presented his defence to the SIP at the Force headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday. The panel constituted by Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, is expected to probe Kyari and submit its findings to the IGP.

Also, the new Head of the Intelligence Response Team, Tunji Disu, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, resumed at the Guzape, Abuja headquarters of the unit on Tuesday.