The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has said that its operatives’ visit to Buruji Kashamu’s home Saturday was to confine him to his residence pending his appearance in court on Monday to perfect extradition proceedings to the United States.
A statement issued by the anti-narcotics agency on Saturday evening said the operation is in line with the legal process of extradition.
“The Agency has commenced extradition procedures against Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu, in line with the laws of country,” said Ahmadu Giade, NDLEA’s Chairman.
“He has been in contact with his attorneys and will appear in court on Monday,” said Mr. Giade.
A team of NDLEA narcotic operatives stormed Mr. Kashamu’s Lagos home at about 5 a.m. on Saturday to keep an eye on the Ogun East District Senator-elect.
Mr. Kashamu had blamed some members of his political party, including Bode George, a party chieftain, and his wife, of being behind the raid by NDLEA.
A U.S federal grand jury, in 1998, charged Mr. Kashamu and 14 others for their alleged involvement in an international conspiracy to smuggle heroin into the U.S.
While Mr. Kashamu, a prominent member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, had continued to deny the charges, he had refused to heed the advice of a U.S Court of Appeal to come and clear the allegations against him.
Last month, Mr. Kashamu accused former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, of plotting with the Nigerian government and U.S agents to extradite him to America to face the criminal charges against him.
Several weeks later, the Senator-elect filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Lagos, dragging 12 individuals and government agencies of conspiring with his political opponents to abduct and forcefully transport him to the U.S.
The respondents in the suit include the Inspector General of Police; the Chairman of the NDLEA; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC; the Director General, Department of State Services; the Interpol National Central Bureau; and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Others are the Clerk of the National Assembly; the National Security Adviser to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission; Nigeria Customs Services, Nigeria Immigration Service; and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp
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