NDLEA, US Anti-Narcotic Agents Set to Extradite Buruji Kashamu to US, but Suspect Says Action is Illegal

NDLEA, US Anti-Narcotic Agents Set to Extradite Buruji Kashamu to US, but Suspect Says Action is Illegal

Prince-Buruji-KashamuSome 50 stern-looking anti-narcotic operatives, drawn from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United States of America (USA) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) anti-narcotic department on Saturday morning, stormed the Lekki, Lagos home of Ogun East senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu.

A competent NDLEA agent who was in the squad that carried out the operation this morning said the raid was long over-due. “We have been planning this since, but he (Kashamu) has been very evasive, but today he is in our net. He has been on surveillance since.”

It was learnt that the raid was in a bid to extradite him to the United States, where he is wanted for alleged drug related crimes.

Mitchelle Ofoyuje, spokesperson of NDLEA, would not go into detail of the operation. “I am on my way to the office because of the development, when I get to the office I would give you a call please.”

But a source said the senator-elect, Kashamu, may have been arrested at his Lekki home, and may be moved to USA in the next 24 hours. “I am here in the office to assist in the handing over process. I have to hand him over to the USA agents within the next few hours, so that he could be moved to USA,” the source said.

The heavily armed men allegedly disarmed the security operatives at Kashamu’s home, and gained entrance into his home.

It would be recalled that Kashamu has on many occasions dismissed talks that he is wanted in the US for drug-related offences.

In a statement he issued in April he said: “I am not running from any trial. All I have asked is for the relevant parties to follow due process if they believe that I yet have a case to answer.

“I believe in the supremacy of the almighty Allah who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish. He is the ultimate decider of the fate of all mortals. When He says yes, no man can say no and when He says no, no man can say yes!

“I stand with the almighty Allah, Subhana Wa Tala. He is the protector of all men. He is my refuge and shield. Let no one play God!”

Early this month, Kashamu accused former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, of working with the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase and US security operatives in Nigeria and other West African countries to kidnap him.

He made this claim when he filed a suit at a federal high court in Lagos seeking to forestall his extradition to the US by Obasanjo the leader of his “political enemies”.

Buruji claimed that his lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede told him in October, that on a flight to Abuja from Lagos a colleague of his, Chief Godwin Obla, SAN, who is very close to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) informed him of the tremendous pressure that Chief Obasanjo was mounting on the AGF to extradite him and in one of the discussions between the AGF and Chief Obasanjo witnessed by Chief Obla, Obasanjo boasted that he was making arrangement with some US officials in the region to have him abducted and flown in a private plane to US.

Chief Obla then advised Prince Oluyede to warn him to be very careful.

Upon discreet inquiries he found out that indeed there have been moves by US officials within the region to secure the assistance of the head of Interpol division in Nigerian, former Deputy Inspector Of Police, Mr Solomon Arase now acting Inspector General Of Police for his arrest and delivery to the US officials for transportation to US without following due process required by the Nigeria Extradition Act.

However, a statement signed by his media aide, Austin Oniyokor, said “this latest onslaught is a confirmation of the alleged plot to illegally abduct him in spite of the pending suit against this illegality.

“As a matter of fact, the court has ordered parties in the matter including the NDLEA to maintain status quo until judgment is delivered on Wednesday 27th May 2015.

“We have confirmed that they do not have a warrant of arrest, just as the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice has said that it did not give any order to carry out this illegality.

“We have confirmed that this illegality is being designed and executed by Chief Bode George whose wife is the Director General of the NDLEA, all in a bid to score cheap political points.

“We urge all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on NDLEA, Chief George and his wife to toe the path of the rule of law and follow due process.

“Nigeria is not a Banana republic! The United States being the bastion of democracy, the rule of law and due process should not lend itself to this kind of illegality”, the statement said.