NDLEA did not serve me notice of extradition-Kashamu

Senator-elect of Ogun East, Prince Buruji Kashamu has denied being served notice of extradition to United States by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

He said this while reacting to the claim that he had been served extradition letter by NDLEA as he described the claim as false.

According to him, no copy of the process was dropped in my counsel’s  Lagos office on Monday, adding, “If eventually NDLEA does so,  that it would be dealt  with in accordance with the law.”

The NDLEA, in a statement by its Head, Public Affairs, Mitchell Ofoyeju, a copy of which was made available to Hallmark said that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation had made a fresh application to the chief judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking Kashamu’s extradition to the US to answer charges on alleged drug trafficking.

He said the agency served the notice of the suit officially  on Kashamu on  June 1, 2015.

Ofoyeju noted that the application made to the Federal High Court Chief Judge by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation for Kashamu’s extradition to the US was in accordance with the Extradition Act CAP, E25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as modified by Extradition Act Modification Order, 2014).

According to the NDLEA statement, “In an application made to the Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/479/2015, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation is seeking the extradition of Buruji Kashamu to answer alleged drug trafficking charges.

“This is in line with the Extradition Act CAP, E25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as modified by Extradition Act Modification Order, 2014). The notice of the suit was officially served on Kashamu by the NDLEA on 1st of June 2015.”

Speaking, the Counsel to Kashamu, Ajibola Oluyede, warned the NDLEA to stay away from the extradition process, saying that it had no role to play in current proceedings, until a warrant of arrest was issued by the court.

According to him, the agency had no role to play in the extradition proceedings, noting that only the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice could initiate extradition proceedings, after receiving a request by an order directed to the court to take over the matter.

Oluyede said: “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.”