Senator Buruji Kashamu, representing Ogun East senatorial district, has described as malicious, the reports making the rounds that a United States court of Appeal has given an order perfecting his extradition to the US to face drug charges.
Kashamu who spoke over the weekend at a press briefing in Lagos stated further that his detractors are bent on spreading false information about him.
Kashamu while advising journalists to always exhibit professionalism in discharging their duties, further blamed his political opponents for the trending negative reports on his character.
The Senator added further that it was unfortunate that some mischievous elements were seeking to twist a suit he filed in USA to stop his abduction and “forced transportation” to face trial for drug offences he knows nothing about.
Narrating what led to his travails in the US, Kashamu said he was vindicated by two British courts when he was arrested and detained over the matter in 1998.
He stated that two British courts had adjudicated upon the case and found that it was a case of mistaken identity.
“I have never visited or resided in the U.S and certainly have never been involved in any business not to talk of a criminal activity whatsoever in the country.
“Although, I declared from the moment of arrest that I was not the person involved in alleged narcotics business and that it was a case of mistaken identity, the British court made an order for my committal pending my extradition to the US but fortunately for me, I was able to prove my case and I was set free.
He said his lawyers came across some exculpatory evidence, which the US government had concealed from the courts in the extradition proceedings.
The evidence, he said, was the outcome of a photo identification parade for the purpose of identifying one Alhaji.
“They had taken a mug shot of me and placed it with seven other photographs of black males who had facial hair that was similar to mine and were about my age too.
“After viewing the photo lineup, Fillmore, one of the accused, said that the third photograph in the lineup looked like a bad photograph of the man they were looking for.
“He also declared that the second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth photographs did not at all look like the said Alhaji; my mug shot was the seventh in the lineup; that was one of the photographs that Fillmore said did not at all look like the wanted kingpin.”
Speaking further, Kashamu said apart from the two British court judgments on the matter, many courts in Nigeria had also adjudicated on the matter and cleared him of any wrongdoings.
Kashamu had sued the Department of Justice in 2015 to convince the appellate court to stop U.S. law enforcement from carrying out what he alleged was an imminent plan by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to team up with his political rivals and “abduct” him in Nigeria.
Kashamu said the NDLEA officials who had made the false statements about him eventually admitted that they had been put under pressure by the U.S. authorities.
“Just before judgment was delivered in the proceedings, the U.S. Government offered me a plea bargain by which they agreed to let me off with a suspended or short sentence if I would stop fighting the extradition proceedings.
“This offer was passed through Thomas Durkin, a U.S lawyer representing me. I rejected the offer out rightly, making it clear that I would never plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.
Kashamu also added that there were schemes to prevent his swearing in as a senator by all means including the plan to have him abducted and transported to the U.S over an alleged extradition request from the United States.
“They harassed and intimidated me and members of my household including my pregnant wife and infant children. When the attempt to abduct me failed due to media exposure, they detained me in my house,” he said.
Kashamu said the belated extradition proceedings initiated by the Federal Government had no request for his extradition issued by the US authorities as prescribed by the Nigerian Extradition Act, following which the provisional warrant of arrest was set aside.
“Realistically, no fresh extradition proceedings can be brought against me. Twice, I won the extradition proceedings against me in London where I was tried at the instance of the US government and the one they brought here has been dismissed by the court, hence the case is dead. Any other purported extradition proceedings or abduction is illegal. I am not afraid of anything because I know my rights under the law.” he said.
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