A Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu, wanted by the United States government for alleged drug offences, hid in his apartment’s toilet in Lagos for six days as Nigerian anti-narcotic agents raided his home and placed him under house arrest two weeks ago, his lawyer said Thursday.
The lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede, told a federal court in Lagos that Mr. Kashamu remained in hiding while 20 masked operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency took over his bedroom.
Mr. Oluyede said despite an earlier ruling of the court that the NDLEA lift its siege on Mr. Kashamu’s home, the agency only withdrew its personnel after he was compelled to sign an undertaking.
‘’The only reason they left was because I signed an undertaking,” Mr. Oluyede said. “My client was in a toilet for six days with 20 masked armed men in his bedroom. So, I signed the undertaking before they left. They should not claim to have obeyed the order of the court.”
Mr. Kashamu’s lawyer urged the court to nullify any warrant of arrest that might have been obtained by the NDLEA from any source in an attempt to extradite his client.
The judge, Ibrahim Bubba, ordered the Attorney General of Nigeria, the NDLEA not to take any further action to extradite Mr. Kashamu to the United States, until the proceedings before him are determined.
Repeating his earlier orders, Justice Buba said ‘’at the expense of being repetitive, the defendants who are alleged contemnor are once again ordered not to do anything that will undermine the suit before the court. It is the duty of all parties to obey the order of court’’.
‘’Therefore, counsel should note that the motion to set aside the orders of court and the main application has not been argued. So the court has to adjourn this matter in order for parties to be served appropriately so that justice can be done,” he stated.
He said the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction subsists until they are set aside.
He said whether the orders were made rightly or wrongly, parties are bound by that order of the court no matter how perverse the order may seem to be.
Justice Buba therefore adjourned the suit to June 19 for hearing of contempt proceedings against the former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, and the NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade.
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This Kashamu is quite a man. He claims to be innocent, on the basis of some phoney unclear court ruling in the UK. But the alleged drug offense was committed in the USA. How can you claim that a court ruling is another country absolves you of trial in the country where the offense was allegedly committed? So I can commit murder in Nigeria, run to Cookooland to obtain a judgment of innocence? And, considering that the Americans who were allegedly his accomplices in the crime have been jailed and are still alive, why don't you trust them to say whether or not you were the person they worked with - if you believe yours is a case of mistaken identity? And, by the way, why not publish a photograph of your late brother whom you say was the real culprit, and let us see how much he resembled you?
ReplyDeleteI love it when smart people like you point it out you just hammered the nail on the head
DeleteYou are on point dear anonymous 3:16pm. Our courts don't help matters either with their frivolous orders. Let Kashamu publish the picture of his late brother let the world see if there's any semblance. I do not see why he is hiding if he knows he is not the one.
DeleteKashamu is a disgrace to his own personality, his family and Nigeria as a whole. How did he win election to become a Senator? The answer is PDP's way of doing things. Ekiti election is also another proof of how the criminals party rigged elections.
ReplyDeleteUntil people like man are sent to where they belong, the country will still be in trouble of rogues and criminals polluting our societies.
We are waiting for how and when the new administration will handle the looters that have already sneaked out of the country with trillions of our Naira in their accounts.
Someone like Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke must be preparing her own return to Nigeria or be forced to come back and return what she stole. She can then go to hell with criminals in her group.
Hello Anonymous 3:55am. As to how Kashamu could have won an election, it transcends PDP influence, and he could have belonged to any party. The average Nigerian is still driven by his stomach, and many would vote for a criminal if that is where his bread is buttered.
DeleteI don't know if you recall when Prof. Pat Utomi openly criticised a well-known international fraudster ('419') from his home town, who however had been doing a lot of "charity" work in the town. The traditional leaders of the town called Utomi to a meeting and told him to stop criticising the criminal, in view of the "good things" the man had been doing for the community. In Nigeria, criminals who spread the proceeds of their crime to their communities always win the support of the communities in elections. That is how Kashamu won!
I come from Kwara State. A very powerful politician and power broker in the state, now late, would step out of his house at Ilorin early morning and hand out cash to each and every one of the thousands of women gathered around his house. He did this every time he was in town. Throughout his life time, he held sway in the state. No one ever asked how he came about the money even though there were strong rumours of him having used one of his wives for money ritual - the woman, from another state, had disappeared without trace, up till now.
?..... you did not mention timipreye Sylvia, who was left off the hook by EFCC courtesy of being Buhari's man and belonging to APC?
DeleteKashamu's case is a mere lesson to each and everyone of us. You don't know what tomorrow holds for you, therefore be mindful of what you do today.
ReplyDeleteAmerica ask me to show up on their land today, with all expense paid, to answer queries that I'm sure I have no skeleton in my cupboard, what do you think I will do....I will quickly pick up my empty travel bags, hop in the plane, that would be a free business flight opportunity bro. Kashamu by his actions and body language, to me is guilty without being judged yet. ....Bam Bam
ReplyDeleteCertainly guilty. For the man to say he would rather commit suicide than take a free trip to clear himself in America, he must know he is guilty and would be confirmed so.
DeleteVery well said all.but can that happen?GOD WITH US
ReplyDelete