Read the press statement below...
Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on May
23rd, 2015 placed Senator-elect Buruji Kashamu from Ogun State under
house arrest. This is sequel to a formal request for extradition
received from the Embassy of the United States of America pending his
arraignment before the Federal High Court on Monday, May 25th.
Kashamu has been a target of both the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for over 20 years and was
indicted in the Northern District of Illinois, United States on charges
brought against him by ICE.
Kashamu, who U.S. court documents allege was known in his days as the
leader of a prolific heroin trafficking ring based in Chicago, Illinois
as “God,” “Daddy,” and “Kasmal,” is wanted to stand trial on charges of
conspiracy and importation of controlled substances, namely heroin, into
the United States dating back to 1994. Kashamu, who holds dual
Nigerian/Beninese citizenship, has taken multiple preemptive actions to
thwart U.S. extradition efforts such as making fanciful claims that his
is a case of mistaken identity, and that his deceased brother is
responsible for the crimes he is being sought after in the United
States.
Kashamu has filed injunctions in federal court both in the Northern
District of Illinois, United States and in Nigeria to prevent his arrest
and prosecution.
At the time of his arrest, NDLEA officers allowed Kashamu’s legal
attorneys – Daniel Onamusi and Barrister Oloyede – and close family
members including his wife and adult daughters to speak with him and
attest to his well-being.
The NDLEA has assured Kashamu that he will be afforded all the
protections of the law and will be given his day in court. Assertions
that he will be bundled up under cover of darkness and whisked out of
the country are untrue and should not be given any credence. We expect
Kashamu as a senator-elect to demonstrate confidence in the Nigerian
judicial system and not insinuate otherwise.
Ofoyeju Mitchell
Head, Public Affairs
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