The embattled Ogun Senator-Elect, Buruji Kashamu, on Tuesday
revisited his row with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA,
declaring that the agency has no role to play in extradition proceedings
against him, until a warrant of arrest has been issued by the court.
The agency had on May 23 placed Mr. Kashamu on house arrest, with the
aim of extraditing him to United States over alleged drug offences.
A court declared the house arrest illegal.
The development took another dimension Tuesday when Mr. Kashamu denied that he had been served extradition notice by the NDLEA.
The NDLEA had said it served him the proceedings.
In a reaction through his counsel, Ajibola Oluyede, the
lawmaker-elect denied receiving the notice, and said the agency has no
right to issue such.
“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,” the
statement said.
“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 sought 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,” he said.
Mr. Kashamu also accused the immediate past Attorney General of
Federation, Mohammed Adoke, and Chairman of NDLEA of working for his
political opponents who will do anything to deprive him of his
senatorial mandate.
“There are many things wrong with the documents filed by the
immediate past AGF. But all these will be dealt with in the court in due
course. 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,” Mr. Kashamu warned.

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