Our attention has been drawn to a press release by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) purporting to have served extradition proceedings on Senator-elect, Prince Buruji Kashamu.
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. 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 sough 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, it invaded the home of Prince Kashamu, broke down his gates, doors and
windows to gain access, harassed his infant children and pregnant wife and humiliated
him in the presence of his family.
Clearly, the plan was
not extradition but abduction and that plan failed only because it quickly came
to the attention of the public.
The belated filing on
Thursday, 28th May, 2015 of an application to the Federal High Court
by the immediate past Attorney-General
of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke Bello, is
an afterthought. And the lack of quality in the processes is indicative that it
is a rushed job quickly done to save his face.
The pieces of evidence
which the US authorities have provided him are exactly the same evidence that
the British courts found to contain falsehood and held to be incredible and
valueless.
I wonder why the
immediate past AGF would think that the Nigerian courts can be deceived.
Additionally, it must
be borne in mind that during the trial in the United Kingdom, the NDLEA sent
its operatives to London to give evidence. And that evidence was to the effect
that Prince Buruji Kashamu is not the person wanted for the drug-related
offences.
One wonders what has
changed now. Although one should not wonder for long knowing that the immediate
past AGF and the Chairman of the NDLEA are now working for Prince Kashamu’s
political opponents who will do anything to deprive him of his mandate which he
won in a free and fair election.
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 mean time, 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.
Signed
Ajibola
Oluyede
TRLP
Law
Counsel
to Prince Buruji Kashamu
02/06/2015
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