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.