U.S.A ordered Kashamu’s house arrest—FG

Firstclass newsline learnt that Adoke told a source on the telephone
on Saturday that the request came last week.
On May 6, the minister had disclosed to firstclass newsline that there
was no extradition request for Buruji by the US.
Adoke said this while responding to a suit filed by Kashamu to
restrain the NDLEA and 13 others from extraditing him to the US.
"The request came shortly after I spoke with you. It came last week," he said.
He said immediately his office received the request it was passed to
the appropriate organ of government for implementation.
The implementation process involves filing an extradition request
before the appropriate division of the Federal High Court.
Responding to further inquiry, he confirmed that he was referring to
the NDLEA as the appropriate organ of government to take up the
extradition request.
"Of course, it is a drug-related offence and the appropriate
government agency that handles such cases is the NDLEA," Adoke said.
The NDLEA confirmed the confinement of the movement of Kashamu to his
Lagos residence on Oladipo Street, Lekki Phase 1 pending his
appearance in court on Monday (tomorrow).
The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Michael Ofoyeju, said the action was
to perfect his extradition to the US for drug-related charges.
In a statement sent via email to a source by the spokesperson for the
agency, Michael Ofoyeju, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA,
Ahmadu Giade, was quoted as saying the operation was in line with the
legal process of extradition.
The statement further quoted Giade thus, "The agency has commenced
extradition procedures against Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu in line
with the laws of country. He has been in contact with his attorneys
and will appear in court on Monday."
He also confirmed that the residence of Kashamu was raided by the
operatives of the agency at about 5am on Saturday.
No fewer than 10 operatives of the agency were said to have invaded
the Lagos residence of Kashamu, around 5am on Saturday to effect his
arrest following a purported extradition request from the United
States on drug- related charges.
They were said to be heavily armed and were ruthless.
As soon as they stormed his residence,SUNDAY PUNCHgathered that some
of the NDLEA operatives brought out a yellow tape and cordoned off the
area, while others went straight to the gate.
After they (operatives) reportedly knocked on Kashamu's gate, his
security men were alerted about their mission.
Kashamu's security men at this point demanded the arrest warrant from
the NDLEA men but they could not produce any.
Based on this, they were prevented from entering the residence.
However, this action was said to have infuriated the NDLEA officials
who stormed the compound after destroying the gate.
The media aide to Kashamu, Austin Oniyokor, in a statement made
available to firstclass newsline on Saturday, explained that the NDLEA
operatives after they had forcibly entered the compound, headed for
the living rooms and began to destroy all the doors one after other,
in a desperate move to arrest Kashamu.
An NDLEA source said they (operatives) closed in on the bedroom of the
PDP chief who was said to have threatened to commit suicide if the
agency tried to extradite him to the US forcibly.
Oniyokor described the latest onslaught on his principal as a
confirmation of the alleged plot to illegally abduct him despite the
pending suit against his abduction.
Oniyokor, however, accused a Peoples Democratic Party leader, Chief
Bode George, as being behind the onslaught against his boss, "in a bid
to score cheap political points."
He said he is doing this through his wife who is the Director-General
of the agency.
"We urge all well meaning Nigerians to prevail on NDLEA, Chief George
and his wife to toe the path of the rule of law and follow due
process.
"Nigeria is not a Banana republic. The United States being the bastion
of democracy, the rule of law and due process, should not lend itself
to this kind of illegality."
However, George, who spoke to a source from the United Kingdom On
Saturday, described the allegation as a 'huge joke.'
The PDP leader said he did not have the power to give his wife orders
because she was not the chairman of the NDLEA and the agency adheres
to due process.
He said no right thinking Nigerian would believe that he was behind
Kashamu's ordeal because his name had never been mentioned before now.
He added that he had never been involved in Ogun State politics before
and wondered how Kashamu's detention could benefit him (George).
He said, "I don't understand what this is all about. How does
Kashamu's arrest affect the price of milk? My wife is not the chairman
of the NDLEA, so how can I give her orders when she has a boss? Also,
that agency always follows due process.
"I am happy that the NDLEA has issued a statement to the effect that
Kashamu's arrest has nothing to do with me or politics. I do not
dabble into Ogun State politics.
"Kashamu is like a younger brother to me and he is not known to speak
in such a manner. I am sure it is his media adviser that concocted
this falsehood.
Firstclassnewsline.net