ABEOKUTA—The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, yesterday
said it had served a notice on Senator-elect of Ogun East,
Prince Buruji Kashamu for his extradition to the United States of America.
However, in a swift reaction,
Kashamu denied being served any extradition letter, describing NDLEA’s claim as
false. He explained that a copy of the process was dropped in his
counsel’s Lagos office Monday, assuring that it would be
dealt with in accordance with the law.
The NDLEA, in a statement by its
Head, Public Affairs, Mitchell Ofoyeju and made available to newsmen
disclosed that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation
has made a fresh application to the chief judge of the Federal High Court in
Abuja seeking Kashamu’s extradition to the US to answer charges on alleged drug
trafficking.
He said the agency served the notice
of the suit officially on Kashamu on June 1, 2015.
Kashamu
Ofoyeju noted that the application
made to the Federal High Court Chief Judge by the office of the Attorney
General of the Federation for Kashamu’s extradition to the US was in accordance
with the Extradition Act CAP, E25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as
modified by Extradition Act Modification Order, 2014).
According to the NDLEA statement,
“In an application made to the Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Abuja in suit
number FHC/ABJ/CS/479/2015, the office of the Attorney General of the
Federation is seeking the extradition of Buruji Kashamu to answer alleged drug
trafficking charges.
“This is in line with the
Extradition Act CAP, E25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as modified by
Extradition Act Modification Order, 2014). The notice of the suit was
officially served on Kashamu by the NDLEA on 1st of June 2015.”
Meanwhile, the NDLEA has said that
the House of Representatives has commended the Agency for the bold step it has
taken in the extradition case involving the senator-elect.
The NDLEA said that the letter of
commendation which was signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs,
Narcotics and Financial Crimes Mr Jagaba Adams Jagaba stated that the Agency’s
action would “go a long way in building the confidence of the international
community in our country.”
I was not served any extradition
letter— Kashamu
Counsel to Kashamu, Ajibola Oluyede,
however, warned the NDLEA to stay away from the extradition process,
saying that it had no role to play in current proceedings, until a
warrant of arrest was issued by the court.
According to him, the agency had no
role to play in the extradition proceedings, noting that only the Attorney-General
of the Federation and Minister of Justice could initiate extradition
proceedings, after receiving a request by an order directed to the court to
take over the matter.
Oluyede said: “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.”
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