Senate Advises NDLEA, AGF against Forceful Extradition of  Kashamu to US

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
The Senate has advised the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Attorney General of the Federal, Mr. Abubakar Malami, against carrying out any activity to extradite Senator Buruji Kashamu (Ogun East) to the United States for prosecution on alleged drug related offences.

Adopting the report of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions yesterday, the Senate said the courts should be allowed to handle the various aspects of the case, without any interference.

Kashamu, is allegedly wanted in Chicago on accusations of heading a heroine trafficking ring in the 1990s, but the senator has insisted that it is a case of mistaken identity,  stating that his late brother, Adewale Kashamu is the perpetrator of the drug crimes.
The Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led committee, in its report said the former Chairman of the NDLEA, Mr. Ahmad Giade and Malami, during their appearance before the committee, did not seem to understand that the matter for consideration was the constant threat or effort to get Kashamu extradited, not the narcotic cases in the various courts.

Giade and Malami had cited the court processes on the matter, to decline making comments, during their appearance before the committee.
“This view now understand, the committee noted that the respondents need to stay action on the arrest/kidnapping/abduction of Senator Buruji Kashamu to allow the legislator concentrate on his duties to the nation,” the report read.

TRLP Law, on behalf of Kashamu, had petitioned the Senate in January 2016, alleging that the former Chairman of the NDLEA, Mr. Ahmad Giade and Malami, in collaboration with some foreign agents and local politicians, intend to abduct Kashamu and forcibly transport him to the US, without recourse to due process.

The law firm, represented by Prince Ajibola Oluyede said Kashamu had no case to answer in the US or the United Kingdom, since he was arraigned in those countries in several trials that exonerated him from any involvement with drug matters.

Oluyede during his appearance before the committee, had alleged that some desperate politicians had been pressuring the AGF, to resuscitate the US indictment against Senator Kashamu in Nigeria, to instigate an extradition process against him. This, he added, led to the attempt to abduct Kashamu, by the NDLEA, who laid a six day siege on his house in May 2014.

The counsel further told the committee that an insider from the NDLEA revealed that the again was making fresh attempts to abduct the Senator for extradition, but the AGF had advised the agency to stop the action as the matter was in court.
It should be recalled that in January 2017, the US Court of Appeals for the seventh Circuit in Chicago, had upheld the ruling of a lower court for the extradition of Kashamu to stand trial.
Nigeria and the US have an existing extradition treaty.