We won’t extradite Kashamu until court cases are resolved —AGF, NDLEA

THE Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have said that the Ogun State senator, Buruji Kashamu, will not be extradited to the United States of America (USA) to face hard drug importation charges until all court actions in respect to the extradition are resolved.

The duo made their positions known in the court processes they filed before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Kashamu, who is representing Ogun West Senatorial District in the Senate, had dragged the two agencies before the court seeking their committal to prison on the allegation that they were planning to forcefully kidnap and abduct him to the United States for trial in drug related offences.

However, at the resumed hearing of the matter, Kashamu told the court through his counsel, Akin Olujimi, that the AGF and NDLEA had agreed not to extradite him until all court actions on the issue were resolved.

Olujimi said in view of the assurances from the two parties, there was no need to pursue any court action against them and asked Justice Kolawale to grant him leave to withdraw the suit.

Olujimi told the court that both parties would now go back to the Court of Appeal to continue with the appeal cases that emanated from the refusal of the Federal High Courts to grant the extradition request.

Counsel to the AGF, Tanko Ashang and that of the NDLEA, Mike Kassa, did not object to the withdrawal of the case and the resolve to go to the Court of Appeal to pursue all pending appeals.

Justice Kolawale, in his brief ruling, granted the leave for withdrawal of the suit and the decision to shift to the appellate court for the pursuit of the appeals.

“In the light of the application to withdraw this suit and to move to the Court of Appeal to pursue all pending appeals in respect of the extradition matter, leave is hereby granted for withdrawal of this suit,” Justice Kolawole held.