While the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, says it has served a notice on Senator-elect of Ogun East, Prince Buruji Kashamu for his extradition to the United States of America, Kashamu’s counsel, Ajibola Oluyede, denied being served any extradition letter, stating that a copy of the process was dropped in the office on Monday.

In a statement by its Head of Public Affairs, Mitchell Ofoyeju, the NDLEA disclosed that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation has made a fresh application to the chief judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking Kashamu’s extradition to the US to answer charges on alleged drug trafficking.

He said the agency served the notice of the suit officially on Kashamu on June 1, 2015.

“In an application made to the Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/479/2015, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation is seeking the extradition of Buruji Kashamu to answer alleged drug trafficking charges.

“This is in line with the Extradition Act CAP, E25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as modified by Extradition Act Modification Order, 2014). The notice of the suit was officially served on Kashamu by the NDLEA on 1st of June 2015.”

Kashamu’s counsel, Ajibola Oluyede, subsequently released a statement, describing the NDLEA’s claim as false and laughable.

“Our attention has been drawn to a press release by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) purporting to have served extradition proceedings on Senator-elect, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

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 sough is the person that actually participated in the offence alleged.

In this case, the NDLEA is very jumpy, nervous and unsettled because it has exposed its unprofessionalism when before any extradition proceedings had been commenced at all, it invaded the home of Prince Kashamu, broke down his gates, doors and windows to gain access, harassed his infant children and pregnant wife and humiliated him in the presence of his family.

Clearly, the plan was not extradition but abduction and that plan failed only because it quickly came to the attention of the public. The belated filing on Thursday, 28th May, 2015 of an application to the Federal High Court by the immediate past Attorney-General  of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke Bello, is an afterthought. And the lack of quality in the processes is indicative that it is a rushed job quickly done to save his face.

The triumphant announcement by the NDLEA that they have served Prince Kashamu with extradition proceedings is not only laughable but false. 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.”