We Will Give It All It Takes To Extradite Kashamu To The US – NDLEA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Friday said is
continuing moves to extradite a financier of the Peoples Democratic Party in
the South-West, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, to the United States for alleged
drug-related offences.

Kashamu is a senator representing Ogun-East Senatorial
District at the National Assembly.

The anti-narcotics agency said it is appealing the various
orders and court injunctions granted the senator, which are preventing his
arrest and extradition.

The NDLEA had been at daggers drawn with Kashamu over a
claim by the agency that it received a request from the American government
seeking the extradition of the PDP leader to answer drug-related charges.

The agency, in what it tagged, ‘house arrest’, had deployed
its operatives in the Lekki, Lagos, residence of the politician for six days
before they were withdrawn, following a court order.

A Federal High Court in Lagos had, in separate rulings,
restrained the NDLEA and any other agencies in the country from unlawfully
arresting and forcefully extraditing the Ijebu-born politician to the US.

Speaking to Sunday Punch on Friday, the Head of Public
Affairs, NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, said the agency had approached the courts
to vacate all orders granted Kashamu. He stated that the agency would follow
all legal means to ensure that Kashamu was extradited.

Ofoyeju said, “He (Kashamu) went to court to seek several
orders. We have appealed those orders. The matters have not been determined. We
are in court.”

The NDLEA spokesman explained that Kashamu had built several
legal walls to prevent the agency from arresting to him.

“For instance, the warrant of arrest we obtained from the
court, he set it aside (through a court). Then, the suit the Attorney-General
of the Federation filed; the motion for his extradition, he also went to court
to set it aside. The AGF is appealing that order and we are appealing ours. The
cases are already in court.”

Ofoyeju said the NDLEA was not to witch-hunt Kashamu,
claiming that the agency had been requested by the American government to
extradite him.

He said, “We have the formal request from the United
States,’ asking for his extradition. We have that and we went to obtain a
warrant of arrest which he got an order to set aside. He got so many court
orders; we are now appealing those orders to enable us to follow due process.

“We cannot use the legal process to impede his extradition
process. If he says he believes in the rule of law, we are going to follow it
up to a logical conclusion.”