Extradition: Senate Seeks Due Process in Kashamu's Case

The drug allegations against a People's Democratic Party chieftain, Buruji Kashamu has been raised on the floor of the Senate.

 

Senator Buruji Kashamu

 

The Senate on Tuesday called for a fair trial of  the lawmaker representing Ogun-East senatorial district, Senator Buruji Kashamu, over alleged drug-related offences.

 

The decision was made at the plenary on Tuesday based on the recommendation by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

 

Chairman of the committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, submitted the panel’s report on a petition filed by Kashamu’s lawyers, TRLP Law, to the legislature.

 

The law firm had petitioned the Senate against the NDLEA; the then Chairman of the NDLEA, Mr Ahmadu Giade; and the AGF “for the alleged intention to abduct Senator Buruji  Kashamu and forcefully transport him to the USA without recourse to due process”.

 

The NDLEA, however, denied threatening Kashamu with extradition. The agency said the recommendation by the Senate was in line with its determination to pursue the lawmaker’s case through constitutional means.

 

The committee, in its report, said TRLP Law was represented by Mr. Ajibola Oluyede, who told the panel that he wrote the petition in his capacity as the solicitor to Kashamu for the intervention of the Senate against “the continual breach of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 by the NDLEA, the Attorney General of the Federation and the former Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmad Giade, in collaboration with foreign agents and some politicians to abduct and transport Kashamu to the USA for prosecution for alleged drug offences”.

 

Oluyede was quoted as saying Kashamu had no case to answer in the USA or United Kingdom since the lawmaker was arraigned in the countries during several trials that exonerated him from any involvement with drug matters.

 

When contacted, the Head of Public Affairs, NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, said, “They (Senate) are just speaking the mind of the agency because we have resolved to follow the issue legally. We have never threatened him and we will not threaten him. We have no problem with that (Senate’s decision). We will seek legal means to actualise our aim.”

 

Our attention has been drawn to several online reports that claim that the Senate has halted the extradition of Senator Buruji Kashamu. That report is not correct.

 

Please note that the Senate, following the report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, only resolved that “The courts be allowed to handle the various aspects of the case before them without any interference.”

 

This explanation is simple, clear, and straight-forward. Any other interpretation or conjecture made by any news media, as some online platforms have suggested, is simply mischief.

 

A statement by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, said on Tuesday the courts should be allowed to handle the case.