US Court, Buruji Kashamu Disagree Over Extradition

Disagreeing with the recent ruling of the United States District Court judge, Mr Charles Richard Norgle which saw him as indicted for drug peddling charges, chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West, Prince Buruji Kashamu, has said that the US authorities had no right to call him a fugitive, just as he said that America had no case against him. This reaction which was personally signed by Prince Buruji and made available to journalists by his attorney’s chambers in the United States came as a result of the April 24 ruling of a Chicago District Court judge, Mr Charles Richard Norgle, who said that the PDP chieftain was still indicted for drug peddling.

In the April 24 ruling, the Chicago District Court Judge Norgle who apart from faulting the British government’s handling of an extradition case filed against Prince Buruji Kashamu, claimed that it was the testimony and evidence produced by the Nigerian government that led to his release in England. The judge also said that Kashamu’s status as a political figure in Nigeria and his relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan would not make an extradition attempt against him successful.

When contacted by our correspondent for reactions, an administrative staff of the Chicago, IL Judiciary, Mr Roberto Cornej, said that the ruling had been made and the US would be waiting for an appeal from Prince Buruji who had always been claiming to be innocent of all charges against him.

Mr. Cornej added that it was unclear if the United States would make a fresh appeal to the federal government for the extradition of the defendant.

It would be recalled that Ms. Patricia John of the British Judiciary during findings had said that Kashamu whose innocence was proven and affirmed by the Royal Court of Justice in England presided over by Lord Justice Pill and Mr. Justice Bell in 2003 was unconditionally released when it became clear to the UK authorities that the US Justice Department could not substantiate its claims that he was the most wanted Ahlaji who was allegedly mentioned by others arrested as their principal conspirator.

The UK official further said that it was discovered that Buruji’s case was a case of mistaken identity, stressing that the Chicago prosecutors at that time had also tainted their eyewitness identification evidence by failing to disclose that one Mr. Nicolas Fillmore, one of the co-defendants, failed to pick him (Kashamu) out of a photo lineup.

Checks by our correspondent at the Department of Immigration of the Federal Republic of Benin also revealed various documents that indicate that a drug trafficking group existed in Cotonou in 1994. One of the documents with reference number 157MISATDGPNDPJBCNIPSPC which was signed by the then Inspector General of Benin National Police, Mr. Raymond Fadonougbo, on the 3rd April, 2001, fingered Mr. Alhaji Adewale Kashamu, Emmanuel Ugbade, Mrs Toun. Nicolas Fillmore, Cleary Wolters, Ellen Wolters, Oumiou Samadou, Gbenga Giwa and Akim Shokunbi as the conspirators behind the network that was dealing in suspicious activities majorly in drug trafficking.

Another document from the Benin Telecommunication and Postal Agency which contained various payments made for telephone bills by Mr. Adewale Adeshina Kashamu between January 1992 and February 1993 was also obtained. The telephone number 301258 was one of the telephone numbers that the then Inspector General of Benin Police listed in his April 3, 2001 letter to the British Police as the major line being used by the conspirators to transact the drug deals.

LEADERSHIP’s checks at the Bank of Africa through a document with reference number 0458-2002/OTL/FT of 28 May 2002 which was signed by the then Inspector General of Benin, Mr. Raymond Fadonougbo, disclosed that an account with numbers 01611168647 was opened on April 30, 1992 at the Bank by Mr. Kashamu Adewale Adesina born on January 6, 1964 in Ikorodu Lagos state, with Passport Number A870428, an international passport that was issued on April 20, 1990 in Abuja.

However, Buruji in his reaction said that attempts were being made by his political detractors and their agents to twist Judge Norgle’s ruling, stressing that the US court did not establish any case against him. “I am the one who has been going to various courts in the US since 2009 to remove the stain of the purported indictment which was erroneously made against me because I am convinced that such a move would not only clear my name but also put a stop to the blackmail and the campaign of calumny against my person”

The statement reads: “As I have often stated, the United States Government had caused extradition proceedings to be commenced against me in England for the purpose of taking me to the US court for trial in respect of the charges made in the said indictment. However, in two judgments dated the 2nd December, 2000 and 10th January, 2003, the English courts rejected the application for my extradition to the US on the basis that it was a case of mistaken identity. In fact, the original charge, from 1994 to 1998, had nothing to do with me. My name was not mentioned in the whole proceedings. That in itself puts a question mark on the US court’s jurisdiction over me

Also, Kashamu’s lawyer, Prince Ajibola Oluyede of Trlplaw Chambers, said that the case against his client was a case of mistaken identity, noting that a fugitive was someone who had never been tried by any court of law for criminal offenses he was being alleged to have committed. He added that the case of his client was different having being tried and discharged proven innocent by a United Kingdom court for the same criminal charge. (Leadership)

US Court, Buruji Kashamu Disagree Over Extradition