The
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has kicked against a court order
mandating it to withdraw its officials from the house of the
Senator-elect for Ogun East Senatorial District, Mr. Buruji Kashamu,
insisting that it is acting within the confine of the law.
Justice
Ibrahim Buba of Federal High Court in Lagos, had on Tuesday ordered tens
of officials of the agency to vacate Kashamu’s Lagos Mansion on Oladipo
Omotosho Street, Lekki without delay.
The court
had described the siege, which started on Saturday, as sub judice on the
grounds that the agency did not follow due process.
In a
statement on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Mitchell Ofoyeju, the NDLEA
described the court order as trivial and an attempt to prevent it from
performing its statutory functions. The agency maintained it had
received an order from the United States Government to extradite Kashamu
for drug related offences and claimed to have served a warrant of
arrest on him.
The
statement read, “NDLEA has described as diversionary and inconsequential
reports of a court order directing its men to vacate the residence of
Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu, and requesting both the Attorney General
of the Federation, Mr. Bello Adoke and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer
of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade to appear in court.
“The
NDLEA does not believe that any court will issue an order preventing a
government agency from performing its statutory responsibilities in a
lawful manner. The Agency has therefore refused to be distracted and
will continue to maintain presence at the residence. It is advisable
that Kashamu respects the law by submitting himself to the due process
of the law.
“We are
prepared to explore all legal means in handling this case to a logical
conclusion. The Nigerian Government has received a formal request from
the United States government for the extradition of Prince Buriji
Kashamu. It also has a provisional warrant of arrest on him contrary to
claims by his attorneys.”
The
statement stated further that Kashamu had been a target of both the US
Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement
of the Department of Homeland Security for over 20 years and was further
indicted by the Grand Jury in the Northern District of Illinois, United
States on heroin trafficking charges.
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