Senate on Tuesday asked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Attorney General of the Federation and other security agencies not to extradite Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States of America to answer questions on alleged drug trafficking.
The upper chamber said that the NDLEA and others should allow all court processes concerning the matter of allegation of involvement in drug-related offence levelled against Kashamu to be concluded in line with the rule of law.
The resolution followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions which considered the matter of alleged attempts to extradite the Senator to the US over allegation of drug offence.
The report of the committee was in respect of a petition from TRLP Law on behalf of Senator Buruji Kashamu against the NDLEA, former Chairman of the NDLEA, Mr. Ahmed Giade and the Attorney General of the Federation for alleged intention to abduct Senator Buruji Kashamu and forcibly transport him to the United States without recourse to due process.
The respondents in the petition were NDLEA, Attorney General of the Federation and Mr. Giade.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu who presented the report said that Kashamu’s travail was being masterminded by some people.
The Committee said that Kashamu should be allowed a free man until the cases in court over the allegations against him have been concluded.
Anyanwu said that NDLEA and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation have been orchestrating plans to arrest and take Senator Kashamu to the US over alleged drug trafficking offences.
He noted that Kashamu should be left alone until cases in court are resolved.
The Senate said that those behind the plot to extradite Kashamu to the US should stay action pending the outcome of the court processes.
The Ethics Committee said that its investigations showed that “Kashamu’s travails were being masterminded by some people.”
The committee said that it discovered that Kashamu had been acquitted of all charges against him by courts in the country.
In its findings and observations, the committee said: After listening fully to the petitioner and respondents, and having painstakingly considered their submissions, the committee observed:
“That the respondents did not fully understand the kernel of the matter, and had to explain again to them that the aspect of Senator Kashamu’s matter referred to the committee for consideration and intervention was the constant threat or effort to get Senator Kashamu abducted by NDLEA, AGF, local and foreign collaborators in order that he might be shipped abroad, not the narcotic cases in various courts.”
The committee therefore “noted that the respondents need to stay action on the arrest/kidnapping/abduction of Senator Buruji Kashamu to allow the legislator concentrate on his duties to the nation.”
It asked the NDLEA not to “overlook the question of internal conspiracy within it since the intention, it appears, was how to extort money from Senator Kashamu.”
The committee recommended: “Having exhausted deliberations on the matter, taking into consideration the views of the petitioner and respondents, the committee hereby recommend as follows:
“That concerned agencies and authorities be advised to stop threatening or carrying out any activities to extradite Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States of America for prosecution.
“That the courts be allowed to handle the various aspects of the case before them without any interference.”
The recommendations were adopted.
THE NATION
