A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, quashed the extradition proceedings and arrest warrant procured by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, against Senator-elect for Ogun East senatorial district, Prince Buruji Kashamu.
Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, in his ruling on an application argued by Kashamu’s lawyer, Chief Alex Izion, SAN, quashed the extradition proceedings and arrest warrant issued by another judge of the Federal High Court.
The judge held that the provisional warrant of arrest was obtained for want of jurisdiction in the sense that the judge’s attention was not drawn to the existing order barring NDLEA and the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF from taking any further steps on the extradition process.
Justice Abang held that the proceedings at the Abuja High Court was a nullity, as he overruled the preliminary objections raised by the NDLEA and the AGF.
Similarly, Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, also ordered the NDLEA, not to put to effect the warrant of arrest dated April 25, 2015, for the extradition of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, senator, Kashamu, to the United States to face trial over alleged drug-related offences.
The court also restrained the agency from arraigning Kashamu on the extradition process filed on April 28, 2015.
According to Justice Buba, the restraining orders were necessary so as not to get conflicting orders whilst cases are pending and judgements or orders are also subsisting, including committal proceedings.
Kashamu, had prayed the court to nullify the provisional warrant of arrest obtained by the NDLEA, in its quest to extradite him to the US to face trial over alleged drug-related offences.
Kashamu in the application had prayed for an order nullifying the NDLEA’s application to commence extradition proceedings against him in suit; FHC/ABJ/CS /479/2015 at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kashamu’s lawyer, R.A. Oluyede, informed the court, yesterday, that despite an existing order, the NDLEA was still making plans to extradite his client.
He urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.
NDLEA’s lawyer, O. Ichakpa, insisted that the agency has not taken any step to undermine the processes before the court.
Justice Buba, after listening to the arguments of lawyers ordered that the NDLEA shall not in the face of subsisting judgement, orders of the court and processes filed and pending, enforce or put to effect the warrant of arrest dated April 25, 2015.
The matter has been adjourned till June 19 for hearing.
