Prince Buruji Kashamu, the Senator-elect from Ogun State gave Nigeria’s anti – drug czar a bloodied nose today, when a Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the agency to lift the siege on his house.
The agency had put Buruji under house arrest on Saturday after storming his Lagos house, to effect his arrest, over what they said was a formal request from the United States government for his extradition. Buruji has a 21 year old drug indictment charge to answer in Chicago, in a case that has been a subject of Hollywood movie.
After the ferocious show by the NDLEA operatives, they could not arrest Buruji, as they did not come with the elementary warrant of arrest, an action that has spurred suspicions that the agency may be up to some pranks to muddle the extradition case. On Monday, the agency further sparked suspicions about its true motive in storming Buruji ‘ s house when it did not procure the arrest warrant and also failed to bring the wanted man to court.
Rather, Buruji ‘ s lawyer filed a contempt charge against the NDLEA and the attorney general of the Federation, as Buruji has a Web of cases in court, trying to challenge a speculative request for his extradition by the American Government.
Today Justice Ibrahim Buba, ordered the NDLEA to leave Buruji ‘ s house in Lekki, Lagos.
Buba made the order after listening to the submission of Kashamu’s counsel Mr Alex Iziyon leading two other senior counsel.
Mr Iziyon in his submission told the court that he is not against an adjournment as requested by the AGF’s counsel Mrs Anne Akwiwu who was in court to represent the Attorney General of the Federation. She the court that she came to show the respect the AGF office has for the court since it has not been served with any court process.
Iziyon then requested the court to make the following orders:
* ordering all the NDLEA operatives numbering at least 50 who have been laying siege to Kashamu’s house to vacate the place.
*ordering other security agencies especially Nigerian Police, State Security Services and other law enforcement agencies to obey the order as there is no application anywhere for his extradition.
He stated further that any application for such order should be brought before the court.
In addition he asked the court to order Kashamu to appear before it during the next hearing of the case while they undertook to publish the order of the court in one daily national newspaper
Mrs Akwiwu objected on the ground that they don’t have any copy of the proceedings, therefore, the order being sought should wait till the time their papers are filed.
In his short ruling, the presiding Judge Ibrahim Buba said: “This is a unique case as the applicants have been in and out of court and in one of such cases judgement is fixed for tomorrow and in the instant case there is a pending order that all the parties involved in the matter should maintain status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit and AGF and NDLEA are respondents in this suit the said order is being disobeyed.
“The contempt proceedings was filed yesterday against AGF and NDLEA but for reason best known to him, Justice Okon Abang declined to hear it hence the matter was assigned to him but he ordered that the alleged contemnor should be put on notice.
“While AGF and NDLEA were ordered to appear today, AGF was part of this proceedings but NDLEA was not allowed to be served by the court bailiff.
“In the interest of justice for the main case to be heard on merit justice of this case demands that all orders made by court of competent jurisdiction must be obeyed until it is set aside. Once more order to stay all actions pending the determination of the substantive suit is hereby made.
“All the NDLEA operatives, agents and principals that have been laying siege to the applicant’s house should vacate the place. There should be no room for self help.
“All parties in this matter are to appear before the court on 4th of June, 2015 to hear the contempt proceedings case on merit.”