Group Sues NDLEA For Failing To Extradite Kashamu

AIED said it resorted to filing the suit because it believed that the Federal Government was protecting Kashamu from being extradited to the US, after the US government had requested his extradition.

The non-governmental organisation, Advocacy for Integrity and Economic Development, says it has sued the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Attorney General of the Federation for their failure to extradite Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States where he is said to be wanted over alleged drug trafficking offences.

The group said in a statement on Wednesday that it filed the fresh suit, numbered FHC/L/CS/1045/2016, against NDLEA and the AGF at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday.

The group said it believed that the failure of the Federal Government to extradite Kashamu would constitute a stumbling block to President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s bid to prosecute corrupt ex-government officials who had absconded from the country and recover stolen funds from them because the US might also not cooperate with Nigeria because of Kashamu’s case.

It is urging the court to declare that by failing to extradite Kashamu, the Federal Government had breached the extradition treaty it signed with the US.

It said it also joined Kashamu’s political party, the People’s Democratic Party, the US Embassy and the Senate as defendants in the suit.

The plaintiff is seeking a court order compelling the PDP and the Senate to notify the NDLEA and AGF of the presence of Senator Kashamu’s at the August 17 convention of the party slated for Port Harcourt, Rivers State and the Senate chambers.

It averred in its affidavit that based on “international agreement between the two countries, the United States government applied to the Nigerian government for the extradition of Senator Kashamu which application has been frustrated till date.

“That the current anti-corruption crusade of the President Muhammadu Buhari-

led administration is being undermined and threatened by the failure of Nigeria to live up to her international treaty obligations with the United States.

“That this failure to comply with international obligation has dissuaded the United States government from taking steps to grant the Nigerian government’s request for extradition of alleged corrupt individuals for prosecution and effective repatriation of stolen public funds.”