It is not yet rest time for Buruji Kashamu, as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disclosed that it has formally served an extradition notice on the alleged drug baron.
NDLEA said it effected the service on Kashamu on Monday in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/479/2015 with a copy made available to the Chief Judge, Federal High Court.
The anti-drugs agency and PDP chieftain have been engaged in a serious legal battle over moves by the FG to facilitate his extradition to the United State to face drug trafficking charges.
Tens of NDLEA officials had laid a six-day siege to the Lagos residence of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP chieftain in Lekki, Lagos, before they vacated on May 28, two days after a Federal High Court in the state mandated them to do same.
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Lagos had on May 27 restrained security agencies in Nigeria from “unlawful” arrest and forceful extradition of Kashamu.
But Kashamu in a swift reaction through his lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede, said he has not been served, “rather, a copy of the process was dropped in our office in Lagos yesterday. So, we shall deal with it in accordance with the law”.
He also stated that, “the NDLEA should be warned to stay away because they have no role to play in the current proceedings. And if we should discover that they have usurped the functions of the AGF, we shall certainly make an issue of it.
“We wish to state that the NDLEA has no role to play in extradition proceedings until a warrant of arrest has been issued by the court. It is the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice that initiates extradition proceedings after receiving a request by an order directed to the court and asking the court to take over the matter.
“It is the court that will decide whether a warrant of arrest is necessary. It is the court that will consider all the evidence provided by the United States to see whether it satisfies the onus of proof and that it establishes that the person sought is the person that actually participated in the offence alleged,” he stated.
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