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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