Court fixes Dec. 6 for Sen. Kashamu’s extradition suit

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday, further adjourned until Dec. 6, hearing in a suit filed by Sen. Buruji Kashamu, seeking to stop his extradition to the U.S., to face drug charges.

Kashamu, in his suit FHC/L/CS/930/2018, joined the the Inspector-General of Police and Commissioner of Police Lagos.

Others are the Director-General Department of State Services, the National Drug law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF)

He prayed the court to restrain the respondents and their agents from arresting or detaining him, in any manner whatsoever, or interfering with his right to personal liberty and freedom of movement.

In a supporting affidavit, the applicant averred that by a newspaper publication, the Attorney General of the Federation was reported to have alleged that the U.S. government had been told to make fresh request for his extradition, after the former proceedings were dismissed.

He averred that, in a proceeding instituted in England by the U.S. authorities between 2002 and 2003, it was established that he was not the one implicated in the alleged narcotics offence committed in the U.S. in 1994.

He said that consequently, he was not the person sought after by the U.S. authorities.

Kashamu, is therefore, urging the court to restrain the respondents and their agents from arresting or detaining him, in any manner whatsoever, or interfering with his right to personal liberty and freedom of movement

Meanwhile in a preliminary objection, deposed to by one Kareem Olayinka, the NDLEA averred that authorities of the U.S. are currently seeking to extradite the applicant to their country, to answer charges relating to Heroin trafficking.

He said that the U.S. government then made a request to the Nigerian government, for the applicant to be extradited sometime in May 2015.

The agency said that since Kashamu got wind of the extradition request, he had filed multiple law suits relating to the issue.

He averred that in all these actions the central and basic relief sought by the applicant, was a restraining order against the NDLEA, from arresting and extraditing him to the U.S.

According to the NDLEA, the applicant’s suit does not disclose any cause of action against the respondent, adding that the multiplicity of actions filed by the applicant is intended to divert NDLEA’s attention from discharging its mandate to the nation.

He averred that the NDLEA needed the protection of the court to stop this trend, as the applicant is only engaged in shopping for a forum that will grant his desired reliefs.

The agency according to him, is therefore asking the court to dismiss the suit. (NAN)