Why we withdrew from Kashamu’s house – NDLEA

The National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency said it pulled out its
operatives from the house of
Senator-elect, Mr. Buruji Kashamu,
in compliance with a court order.
NDLEA said it withdrew from the
Lekki, Lagos home of the Peoples
Democratic Party stalwart “when it
officially received a copy of the
order from the court on Thursday,
May 28, 2015.”
In a statement by NDLEA’s Head,
Public Affairs, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju,
on Friday, the agency added that
Kashamu’s counsel had signed an
undertaking to produce him in
court for hearing.
The anti-narcotic agency stated,
“This is not the end of the case as
the NDLEA has filed a formal
extradition process at the Federal
High Court. The Agency is following
the due process of law and will
ensure that national interest is
balanced against the constitutional
rights of Mr. Kashamu.
“The mission of the NDLEA is not
and has never been to abduct him,
but to engage the extradition
process. The agency is taking
necessary steps to ensure that Mr.
Kashamu will be available to stand
trial on extradition charges as
required by law.
“To this end, the NDLEA has a
provisional warrant of arrest on him
as well as a formal request for his
extradition. The honourable thing
for him to do is to submit to the
due process of the law as pledged.
“The NDLEA wishes to reiterate that
it would comply with all court
orders and not forcefully abduct
and take him to the United States
for trial.”
The agency noted that the court
had not asked the NDLEA from
embarking on an extradition
process against the Semator-elect
of Ogun East Senatorial District.
“The court held that the
respondents cannot be restrained
perpetually from arresting the
applicant and that they were only
restrained from arresting him
without a warrant of arrest and for
forcibly abducting and taking him
from Nigeria without recourse to
the due process of law as enshrined
in the Extradition Act,” it said.