Court Fixes Date For Buruji Kashamu’s Extradition Suit

A Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday, further adjourned until December 6 hearing in a suit filed by Buruji Kashamu seeking to stop his extradition to the United States to face drug offence charges.
Kashamu, who until June represented Ogun East District at the Senate, in his suit FHC/L/CS/930/2018, joined the Inspector-General of Police and Commissioner of Police, Lagos as respondents.
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 a 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 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 lawsuits relating to the issue.