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Senate committee cautions against extradition of Kashamu
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, on Wednesday cautioned against any act of illegality that could lead to the abduction and extradition of Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States of America.
The senate panel gave the directive while treating a petition forwarded to it by the Senator, who appeared physically at the venue with his lawyer.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency had, through its spokesperson, Mitchell Ofoyeju, last year, said that it still had plans to arrest and extradite Kashamu to the US to face drug trafficking charges.
The NDLEA said further that it was simply obeying the court orders which barred it from arresting Kashamu but that it would still pursue the case to its legal conclusion.
But appearing before the senate panel alongside his counsel, Messrs Ajibola Oluyede, Kashamu alleged that the plan was to export him out of Nigeria with the active connivance of the NDLEA officials.
Reacting to the petition, the Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, asked the NDLEA to maintain status quo on the issue, pending the outcome of his panel’s investigation.
“It is obvious that when we make our investigation we will put down our report to the entire senate. We have to invite the parties involved and not in representative capacity to answer to the allegations,” he said.
He added that the allegation was against the Former Chairman of the agency, Ahmadu Giade and that he was equally going to be affected by whatever decision the senate will arrive at, hence the need to also hear from him.
He said, “This matter is before the senate and we think status quo should remain until we look at the issues in the petition and come up with a position.”
Anyanwu said that the Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mrs. Roli Bode-George, sent a representative but wrote that since the matter was in the Appeal Court, she should be excused from the matter.
He also said that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has been requested to appear before the committee between 9th and 12th of February, while Gyade asked for more time to prepare and submit 12 copies of the written presentation before the committee.
