Buruji Kashamu ‘NDLEA is unprofessional,’ Senator-elect responds to agency’s extradition notice

Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu has responded to an extradition notice served on him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The NDLEA said on Tuesday, June 2, 2015, that it had filed an extradition suit against Kashamu and had served same on him on Monday, June 1.

In response however, Kashamu, speaking through his lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede of TRLP Law, accused the agency of unprofessionalism.

A statement released by Oluyede reads as follows:

“Our attention has been drawn to a press release by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) purporting to have served extradition proceedings on Senator-elect, Prince Buruji Kashamu.”

“We wish to state that the NDLEA has no role to play in extradition proceedings until a warrant of arrest has been issued by the court. It is the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice that initiates extradition proceedings after receiving a request by an order directed to the court and asking the court to take over the matter.”

“It is the court that will decide whether a warrant of arrest is necessary. It is the court that will consider all the evidence provided by the United States to see whether it satisfies the onus of proof and that it establishes that the person sough is the person that actually participated in the offence alleged.”

“In this case, the NDLEA is very jumpy, nervous and unsettled because it has exposed its unprofessionalism when before any extradition proceedings had been commenced at all, it invaded the home of Prince Kashamu, broke down his gates, doors and windows to gain access, harassed his infant children and pregnant wife and humiliated him in the presence of his family.”

“Clearly, the plan was not extradition but abduction and that plan failed only because it quickly came to the attention of the public.”

“The belated filing on Thursday, 28th May, 2015 of an application to the Federal High Court by the immediate past Attorney-General  of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke Bello, is an afterthought. And the lack of quality in the processes is indicative that it is a rushed job quickly done to save his face.”

“The triumphant announcement by the NDLEA that they have served Prince Kashamu with extradition proceedings is not only laughable but false. He has not been served. Rather, a copy of the process was dropped in our office in Lagos yesterday. So, we shall deal with it in accordance with the law.”

“In the meantime, the NDLEA should be warned to stay away because they have no role to play in the current proceedings. And if we should discover that they have usurped the functions of the AGF, we shall certainly make an issue of it.”

The NDLEA had, on Saturday May 23, staged a siege on Kashamu’s home in a bid to arrest and extradite him but failed to achieve the aim for lack of a warrant.