Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana,
SAN, says ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo did not abuse African tradition by
criticising the late ex-Senator, Buruji Kashamu.
But the lawyer was quick to note
that Obasanjo’s message was veiled with hypocrisy, saying “it is against the
African culture to aid and abet a criminal suspect in his lifetime, only to
turn round to attack him in his grave.”
He urged the former head of
state to “stop insulting the collective
intelligence of the Nigerian people.”
Kashamu, a governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the
2019 election in Ogun State, died of COVID-19 complications on Saturday at the
age of 62.
Kashamu, who also represented
Ogun East Senatorial District between 2015 and 2019 at the National Assembly,
was buried on Sunday in accordance with Islamic rites at his Ijebu-Igbo
hometown.
The late lawmaker had faced
extradition to the United States for alleged drug trafficking until his death.
Ex-President Obasanjo had, in a
message titled, ‘Letter of condolence,’ alleged that Kashamu used the
instruments of law and politics to evade justice.
“The life and history of the
departed have lessons for those of us on this side of the veil. Senator Esho
Jinadu (Buruji Kashamu) in his lifetime used the manoeuvre of law and politics
to escape from facing justice on alleged criminal offence in Nigeria and
outside Nigeria.
“But no legal, political,
cultural, social or even medical manoeuver could stop the cold hand of death
when the creator of all of us decides that the time is up,” he said while
praying that Allah forgive Kashamu’s sins.
Obasanjo’s letter had attracted
criticisms from many Nigerians, including former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele
Fayose.
In his reaction titled, ‘Matters Arising From Chief Obasanjo’s Condolence Letter,’ Falana wrote:
“Some people have said that it is
against the African culture to speak ill of the dead. That is far from the
truth. In the past, Africans spoke ill of the dead and exposed the dead if they
were found to have engaged in abominable activities that brought shame to a
community. In fact, the bodies of dead men and women who were found to have
brought pestilence to a community were buried in the bush.
“Therefore, Chief Obasanjo has
not abused the African culture by attacking the late Senator Buruji Kashamu for
allegedly manipulating the law to escape justice at home and abroad. However,
it is the hypocrisy of his message that should be criticised because it is
against the African culture to aid and abet a criminal suspect in his life time
only to turn round to attack him in his grave.
“In 1999, the British Government
had initiated moves for the extradition of Kashamu to the United States for
trial for drug related offences. But the evidence given in favour of Kashamu in
2003 by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) under the Olusegun
Obasanjo administration cleared the suspect of drug charges. Consequently, the
British Court rejected the request to extradite Kashamu on grounds of
uncertainty about his identity and freed him after 5 years in jail. Thereafter,
Kashamu returned to the country as a free man and was admitted to the PDP as a
full fledged member. He funded the party and became a political leader.
“The national leadership of the
party acknowledged Kashamu’s immense financial contributions to the PDP. In
2014, as a result of political disagreements in the Ogun State chapter of the
PDP, former President Obasanjo asked the national leadership of the PDP to stop
extolling Kashamu as a political leader because he was “a habitual criminal
wanted abroad to face criminal charges levelled against him…” But following the
resolution of the intra party feud, Chief Obasanjo mounted the rostrum in Ogun
State, extolled Kashamu as a political leader and prayed to the Almighty God to
reward him for his generosity.
“In 2015, due to renewed pressure
from the Government of the United States the Federal Government filed
proceedings at the Federal High Court for Kashamu’s extradition for trial in
the United States. But the Federal High Court dismissed the extradition
proceedings based on the clean bill of health which the NDLEA had given Kashamu
in 2003. Dissatisfied with the judgment of the Federal High Court the Federal
Government appealed to the Court of Appeal. In May 2018, the Court of Appeal
allowed the appeal and set aside the several orders of the Federal High Court
which had stopped his extradition. Kashamu’s appeal against the order of the
Court of Appeal for his extradition is still pending at the Supreme Court.
“Upon Kashamu’s sudden demise
last weekend due to complications arising from Covid 19 attack, Chief Obasanjo
sent a sarcastic condolence letter to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.
While praying for the repose of the soul of the deceased Chief Obasanjo said
that in his life time he had manouvred “law and politics to escape from facing
justice on alleged criminal offence in Nigeria and outside Nigeria. But no
legal, political, cultural, social or even medical manoeuvre could stop the
cold hands of death when the Creator of all of us decides that the time is up.”
“In defending his condolence
message Chief Obasanjo recalled that: “When I was growing up, in our community,
when anyone known with bad character died, we usually only mourn him and bury
him. No eulogy. No praise-singing.” Since Chief Obasanjo believes that “The
life and history of lifetime of the departed have lessons for those of us on
this side of the veil” the political leaders who frustrated his extradition
from the United Kingdom, welcomed him back home and used him to build political
structures should stop insulting the collective intelligence of the Nigerian
people.”
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