The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said it would ensure the extradition of Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States, following a ruling by an American court that he can be extradited.
A US appeal court had ruled that Kashamu must face drug charges and can be extradited by the authorities without being viewed as “abduction”.
The NDLEA also said it would ensure that all orders restraining the arrest of Kashamu are vacated.
Head, Public Affairs, NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju said the agency will not compromise a legal treaty it has with the US.
Ofoyeju said, “Already, there are actions ongoing to vacate those orders. So it is now important for us to pursue those actions to a conclusion because we now have a better ground to vacate those orders. And these are injunctions that he got restraining us from picking him up.
“You know that this development is a good reason for us to vacate those orders that he is not to be arrested.”
He added, “When those (restraining) orders are cleared, then we can go ahead with the extradition case. There is no point filing another one. The case that was filed is still in court. It is just that there are orders preventing that case and these orders need to be cleared so that the coast will be clear.”
He denied claimed that the agency has given up on Kashamu’s extradition case.
“No way, that is not true! We have not given up, but we don’t want to violate court orders. We will seek legal means and this case has emboldened our case here in Nigeria,” he said.
Ofoyeju said the case was a sensitive one as Kashamu was a serving Senator.
He said, “On the exceptionality of his case, he is a distinguished Senator and so our legal team will come up with the best legal option for him to clear himself because of the mutual legal agreement that we have with the US.
“The case is a very sensitive one because he is a serving Senator; but then, we have a mutual agreement with the US on things like this. It is an allegation, but let him go and clear himself.”
He stated that the Senator had secured an injunction, restraining the NDLEA from arresting him.
Ofoyeju said, “The court in the US has ruled and back home here, he has secured an injunction that he should not be arrested. So our legal team is currently studying the case, both the one in the US and the one in Nigeria. This is in order to know the next legal line of action, because he must clear himself. That is the position.
“So, as it is now we are going to look at the best legal action to take in order for his right not to be violated because he is a distinguished senator of the federal republic. However, at the same time, all necessary measures will be exploited for him to clear himself of whatever allegations that have been brought against him in the US.”
Kashamu has been accused of leading an heroin trafficking ring in the 1990s.
However, the Senator has maintained that it was a case of mistaken identity.