UK deports 83 Nigerians

No fewer than 83 Nigerians are expected to arrive in the country on Wednesday (today) following their deportation from the United Kingdom.

The PUNCH gathered that among those to be deported were residents whose documents had expired and prisoners whose terms of imprisonment were nearing completion.

The spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, South-West Zone, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the deportees were expected to be in the country at 5am.

He explained that they would arrive through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, adding that officials of the agency and other government workers were expected to receive them.

Farinloye said the prisoners would complete their jail terms in Nigeria.

He said, “We were informed that 83 Nigerians would be deported from the United Kingdom on Wednesday morning. Some of the people affected are those who haven’t completed their prison sentences. They would be taken to Nigerian prisons to complete their terms. Although we cannot tell the various offences, we believe others could be drug-related and immigration problems.

“We expect that when they arrive in the country, we would be able to know the real reason for their deportation. The aircraft is expected to arrive in the country at 5am at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.”

Source: Punch Newspaper

BREAKING: Lagos Balogun market on fire

A section of the Lagos Balogun Market has reportedly been gutted by fire. The market caught fire early Wednesday morning after traders resumed for the early morning sales. Firefighters have arrived the scene and are currently putting the fire out. No causality has so far been recorded as of the time of filing this report.
source: Punch Newspaper

How Justice Ademola requested N25m bribe to grant me bail

Former Director in Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Dr. Sani Teidi, on Tuesday, narrated before an Abuja High Court at Maitama, how Justice Ademola Adeniyi who is facing corruption charges, kept him in prison custody for a year and two months, following his inability to pay N25million bribe. DOCKED: Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court (left) with his associate (right) and Chief Robert Clark (middle) at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, yesterday. Photo: NAN The witness told the court that Justice Ademola approached his wife through an agent simply identified as Mr. Kingsley O. He said the agent gave his wife two different account numbers where the N25m should be paid into. Meanwhile, Justice Ademola, through his legal team led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, dismissed the allegation, stressing that the witness who was docked before his court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had attempted to use forged documents to get bail. Ikpeazu, SAN, maintained that there was no evidence to show that the embattled Judge, at any time, had personal contact with the witness. Teidi was on trial before Justice Ademola following his alleged complicity in the illegal diversion of over N4.6billion pension fund. Testifying as the sixth prosecution witness, PW-6, in the ongoing trial of Justice Ademola, the witness narrated how his ordeal commenced, saying it took intervention of a panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal to eventually secure his release from Kuje prison He told the court that his travails started after he discovered that about N36billion meant for payment of pension and gratuity, were diverted into various private accounts. “After we made the discovery I sent a petition to the EFCC and ONSA. Committee was set-up which verified my claim”. He said a committee set up by the Senate also directed that the matter be investigated and the funds recovered. The PW-6 said he was a principal witness at the Senate hearing on the missing pension funds, said he was surprised when he was charged to court over fraud he discovered. “After the Senate report I was charged to court. EFCC invited me and asked me to explain what happened to N4.5b and N7.5bn. I submitted to the EFCC the account that was used to remove the money and the mandate. “One Charles Bonet, a Permanent Secretary (Establishment), was a signatory to one of the accounts. The money was moved from UBA to Union Bank where it disappeared. “After the investigation, I was charged to court before Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The charges involved unlawful removal of pension funds totalling about N4.5bn. “I was charged with others and I was granted bail with one surety in the sum of N10m who must be resident within FCT. “I fulfilled the bail term by providing one surety that owned property worth N10m and submitted the C of O, as well as surrendered my international passport. “The case started 2011. By 2012, EFCC came in with an application of what they called proper case management and the case was withdrawn. The prosecutor in that case was Godwin Obla, SAN. “While the case lasted I never jumped bail neither was my bail revoked. The case was later transferred to Justice Adeniyi Ademola. “We were two of us that were charged. Myself and one Omoefe Odugese. In April 2013, the investigator phoned me at about 9:30pmthat the case was coming up before Justice Ademola the following day”. The witness said he told the investigator that it would be impossible for him to make it to the court as scheduled considering that he was outside Abuja. He said the investigator promised to convey the situation to the court. “The next thing I knew, Justice Ademola issued a bench warrant for my arrest. There was no summon issued against me before then. “When I discovered a bench warrant was issued against me, I went to the EFCC and challenged the investigator. He told me that he duly informed the court that he was aware of my movement. “After I left EFCC, I went home and told my wife that a bench warrant has been issued on me and that I was going to honour it. “I then took myself to the court and I was remanded. Later, we were arraigned and I was denied bail. After that, somebody pressurised my wife that unless she is able to pay the sum of N25m, that I will die in prison. That I was going to be remanded in prison forever. “I now petitioned to the Chief Judge, Justice Auta, for transfer of my case to any other court. “I came back to the court and his lordship, Justice Ademola, brought out the petition and asked if I was the author and I told him yes and he said whether I like it or not he was going to handle the case. He then sent me back to the prison and adjourned the matter sine-die (indefinitely). “After pressure from my lawyer, he then granted me bail to the tune of N500m with two sureties. He said with the two of them the bail sum would amount to N1bn. “I met the bail conditions. One of my sureties was Chief Oke and the second was Igbelimeta Farm Projects Ltd. Before then, the person that was acting for his lordship told my wife that unless she paid that money, that even if I perfect the conditions, I would not be released. “After I perfected my bail, my counsel, Mr. S. I. Ameh, SAN, reminded Justice Ademola that we had an application before him and that the bail conditions has been met. “Justice Ademola said he was aware. That my case is like that of Boko Haram, kidnapping and terrorism. Therefore he would take his time to study the file before appending his signature. Then the case was adjourned and I was taken back to the prison. “The next time we met in court, he said sorry that rain fell on my file that there is no way he could look at it until the file dries up. I was taken back to prison custody. “I was arraigned April 2013. I got to know why my bail was not approved around November. I heard that I would not be allowed to go out until I pay the money to Justice Ademola’s agent, one Kingsley O. who supplied an account number. “I was told I would not go out because the account submitted by Kingsley O. was not credited. The agent always had foreknowledge of what will happen in court even before sitting. He would tell me that the case would be adjourned maybe from November to December, and when we got to court things usually happened exactly the way he said it would. “The bail was never approved even when my surety Mr. Okey brought the C of O of his property. Justice Ademola gave him back his file. The surety came to meet me in the prison and told me the judge said he should take back his documents. “Even when we applied for variation of the bail conditions he never approved it. We applied for variation after Okey withdrew his documents and we were left with only one surety who could not meet up with the N1bn condition’. Th witness said he took the case before the court of Appeal which gave him N100m bail with one surety. “The appeal court ordered that the case should be heard by any other Judge of the Federal High Court apart from Justice Ademola”. A certified copy of the appellate court judgment dated May 6, 2014, was admitted into evidence and marked as exhibit C. Besides, the witness said while he was in prison custody, Justice Ademola, issued an order that all his properties should be forfeited to the federal government. He said some of his properties forfeited on order of Justice Ademola were Brifina Hotel, Hamo Filing Station and A. Y. Ted filing station. Teidi said he developed high blood pressure while in prison and went into coma in November 2014 and was rushed to the National Hospital. “My lawyer reported the development to Justice Ademola, stressing that I was almost losing my left eye and that he should temper Justice with mercy, but he still refused”. 

While being cross-examined by Justice Ademola’s lawyer, Ikpeazu, SAN, the witness, told the court that the 1st defendant made the forfeiture order against his properties in chamber and not in the open court. The witness said though he did not report the extortion attempt to Police, he however went to bank to verify the two accounts that were given to him by the purported agent from Justice Ademola. The witness said he was subpoenaed to appear and testify before the court after he was summoned by the DSS. “They showed me a petition written by some individuals in respect of my being incapacitated for a year and two months and equally the circumstances surrounding my detention. After that I made a statement to them voluntarily”. Trial Justice Jude Okeke adjourned further hearing on the matter till Wednesday. FG had on Monday, told the court that eight armed men attempted to assassinate the witness at his Abuja residence. Ademola is answering to a 16-count criminal charge alongside his wife, Olabowale and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joe Agi. FG, among other allegations, said the judge had in the discharge of his official duties, received gratifications from Agi to the tune of N38.5m.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/01/justice-ademola-requested-n25m-bribe-grant-bail-witness/

2Face Idibia states reasons, plans for Nationwide protest

African Queen crooner, 2Face Idibia has opened up on his planned protest, shifting the date from February 5th to 6th . In a statement he made available to newsmen on Tuesday, the Hip hop star said that “the people have hoped for a better Nigeria since 1999 but things are not getting any better for the majority. We are still where we are – poor and desperate. I will no longer be quiet”

Thanking Enough is Enough, the 2Face Foundation, his fellow artistes and Nigerians fully in support of the protest the star allayed the fear of some that he might have been influenced by some political machinations, saying the protest is not a platform for politician or labour unions to manipulate.

“It is not a platform for politicians of any party to manipulate. I know you will still spin it but for one second leave your battles aside and just listen to people without trying to score cheap political points against one another. It is not a point scoring exercise. It is certainly not personal. It is not an organized labour platform. With all due respect to our comrades who have done much for Nigeria, this march is for the unrepresented. It is not a ‘my religion or tribe is better than yours’ matter. All our blood is red. I, Innocent Idibia, am a living example of a Nigerian who owes their success to Nigerians of every tribe and religion. None ask what religion or tribe I am before supporting me. I am grateful.” The statement also strictly spells out how the protest march will take place, with time and place, it will commence. “On Monday, February 6th, meet me at the National Stadium at 8AM and we’ll walk to the National Theatre – 2 national icons that epitomize our decline – as we state clearly and peacefully that #IStandWithNigeria and Nigeria must work for all of us and all of us must work for Nigeria.” Read the statement in full Intro Since the idea of a nationwide march was first mentioned, the need for urgent solutions to the challenges facing Nigerians has become very clear. The people have hoped for a better Nigeria since 1999 but things are not getting any better for the majority. We are still where we are – poor and desperate. I will be no longer be quiet. I want to thank EiE, The 2face Foundation, numerous colleagues and countless fellow Nigerians for stepping up to partner with me. I am just a musician with a point of view and the ear of my fans. I have dedicated my time and resources to peace building, voter education towards peaceful elections and youth engagement in governance in Nigeria. This time around, my partners, colleagues and I have come together to present a platform for real Nigerians to communicate their real pains to government at all levels in a peaceful and articulate manner with a view to getting lasting solutions to our problems. 

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/02/2face-idibia-states-reasons-plans-nationwide-protest/

EFCC loses bid to freeze Fayose’s accounts

Efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to freeze the personal accounts of Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose with the Zenith Bank Plc were rebuffed by the Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti that dismissed the anti-graft agency’s application for “lack of merit”.

The EFCC had on December 15, 2016, filed an application for a stay of execution of the court’s judgement of December 13, last year on the matter that the agency was erred in frozen Fayose’s account with the bank.

Dismissing the application on Tuesday, the presiding judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo said that the EFCC had already filed an application at the Appeal Court challenging the judgement of the court.

He said that” once a judgment is being executed, you cannot stay the execution again”.

He, therefore, referred to Section 308 of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The judge said that there were no substantial points raised in the affidavit for the court to condemn the judgment already delivered by the court.

The Judge, therefore, dismissed the application saying it lacks merit.

source: guardian newspaper

Watford accepts Chinese club’s £20m offer for Ighalo

Super Eagles’ striker, Odion Ighalo, is set to become Nigeria’s latest export to the Chinese Super league if he accepts the offer to join Changchun Yatai. The club yesterday agreed a £20 million deal with Watford for the striker.

However, according to mirror.co.uk, West Brom could hijack the deal with a last-minute bid  but only if Baggies manager Tony Pulis matches the price agreed with Changchun.

Pulis, who sold Saido Berahino to Stoke two weeks ago, pulled out of the running for Ighalo after claiming Watford wanted too much for him, but the Hornets would not be surprised if Albion rejoined the auction at the 11th hour.

Ighalo has gone from top scorer at Vicarage Road, and magician behind the ‘Iggy chop’ party trick – which left countless defenders on their backsides – to a spare part in danger of missing out on a Premier League squad number.

And Watford head coach, Walter Mazzarri, admitted Ighalo’s departure was imminent last night, saying: “Every morning I ask the club what the situation is, and negotiations are now at an advanced stage, so it should only be a matter of a couple of days.”

Ighalo was top scorer across all four divisions in the calendar year 2015, when his 30 goals fired the Hornets to promotion and Premier League safety, in all but name, by Christmas.

Even when the goals dried up for him in the second half of last season, Shanghai SIPD made a mind-blowing £37.5m bid for Ighalo last summer – which the player rejected.

His market value plummeted as he finished 2016 with just six goals in all competitions, and Watford’s top brass agree a fresh start is the best solution for all parties.

Another Chinese club, Shanghai Shenhua, were exploring the possibility of pairing Ighalo with Carlos Tevez, the world’s highest-paid player on £600,000-a-week.

But they would not meet Watford’s £27m asking price for a player their rivals SIPD had valued £10m higher only six months ago.Ighalo appeared to be waving goodbye to travelling fans after the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth 17 days ago and was left out of the squad altogether for the embarrassing FA Cup defeat at Millwall on Sunday.

And after the arrivals of on-loan AC Milan striker M’Baye Niang – whose move is scheduled to become a permanent £14m transfer in the summer – and Mauro Zarate last week, Ighalo was sinking further down the pecking order than a mineshaft.

With £12.6m Isaac Success back in full training and skipper Troy Deeney among the crown jewels, Ighalo was faced with becoming fifth-choice striker. Furthermore, he was in danger of being excluded from Watford’s upgraded 25-man Premier League squad after the transfer window shuts because of the surfeit of foreign players on the books at Vicarage Road.

Source: Guardian Newspaper

Anambra plans N1b social investment programme

The Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, says the state has set aside N1 billion in this year’s budget for its social investment programme.

Chukwulobelu made the disclosure at the Community Based Targeting Team training in Awka on Tuesday.

He said that this was done to scale up some of the programmes in the fiscal year.

Chukwulobelu, who commended the Federal Government for initiating the cash transfer programme, said that the programme was timely given the desire of Nigerians for a new lease of life.

He said that the purposeful direction in the management of the national economy and quest for inclusiveness in national development had also made the programme imperative.

Chukwulobelu urged the participants to listen to the presentation by the federal team and understand the way the people could key into the cash transfer programme to ensure a reduction in poverty and inequity.

“The cash transfer component will enhance financial inclusion amongst the marginalised and vulnerable, boost economic activities in the rural communities and stem rural-urban drift,’’ Chukwulobelu said.

He said that the state government had worked assiduously to meet the start-up requirements for the programmes.

According to him, the state government has signed an MoU with the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) and set up the state operation coordination unit with requisite operational facilities

Earlier, Mrs Chinwe Iwuchukwu, a Senior Special Assistant to Donor Agencies/Deputy Focal Person, Social Investments, said six local government areas had been targeted in the pilot scheme.

They are Ihiala, Anyamelum, Awka North, Anambra West, Dunukofia and Orumba South.

She said that two participants from each of the council were being trained as the Continued Community-Based Targeting Team to implement the programme for beneficiaries.

The programme, she said, would finance safety nets transfers of N5,000 monthly to carefully targeted poor and vulnerable households included in the single social register.

Commenting, Mr Andrew Adejo, National Coordinator, Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO), commended the efforts of Anambra government on the take-off the programme in the state.

He said that Federal Government was impressed after seeing the seriousness of the state government in benefitting from the pilot scheme as the first state in the South East Zone.

Other benefiting states, he said, were Bauchi, Cross Rivers, Ekiti, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Niger and Oyo.

Source: Guardian Newspaper

DSS invitation in order, says Suleman

The President, Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has said that his invitation by the Department of State Services (DSS) is in order.

Suleman said this while briefing newsmen in Abuja yesterday.“I presume the right thing was done. They have been in touch with me to come and that is why I am in Abuja, so that I can see them,” he said.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he said his recent statement was based on information from a reliable source that herdsmen were coming to attack him. 
He said that he stood by his statement on self defence.

Suleman had told his supporters at a religious crusade in Ekiti recently to defend themselves if they were attacked by herdsmen.Security around the former State House Annex office of the Department of State Services (DSS), Abuja was beefed up yesterday.

As at 11:30 am yesterday, there was no sign of the Apostle entering the DSS office, but unconfirmed sources said he was already inside, having been picked from a location into the office in a different vehicle.

Though the DSS Spokesman, Tony Opiuyo, has remained inaccessible nor issued a statement to the effect, a source familiar with the Service told The Guardian that the pastor had answered the invitation as requested and is cooperating with interrogators.

rity presence, the source said “it was to forestall any act that would lead to a breakdown of law and order, because we gathered that some misguided elements were at the Unity fountain in Maitama to rent a crowd to foment

trouble.’’

Annex office of the Department of State Services(DSS), Abuja was beefed up yesterday.From the entrance of the Maitama Avenue through the Circular Road that encloses the Three Arms Zone, armed stern-looking soldiers, policemen and masked DSS operatives lined the streets

The Omega Fire founder Apostle Johnson Suleiman was formally invited to the DSS headquarters to answer questions bothering on alleged inciting

instructions he gave to his congregation during a church service that suggests ethno-religious intolerance.

As at 11:30 am yesterday, there was no sign of the Apostle entering the DSS office, but unconfirmed sources said he was already inside, picked from a location into the office in a different vehicle.

Though the DSS Spokesman, Tony Opiuyo, has remained inaccessible nor has he issued a statement to the effect, a source familiar with the Service told

The Guardian that the pastor had answered the invitation as requested and is cooperating with interrogators.

Asked why the heavy security presence, the source said “it was to forestall any act that would lead to a breakdown of law and order, because we gathered that some misguided elements were at the Unity fountain in Maitama to rent a crowd to foment trouble.’’

Source: Guardian Newspaper

Angry youths shut power station in Rivers over unemployment

Some angry youths in the late hours of Monday shutdown a power station belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria, leading to electricity blackout in Port Harcourt and environs.

The youths were protesting alleged inability of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company to provide them with steady electricity and TCN’s refusal to employ youths from the host communities.

The youths forced the TCN staff to leave their office premises and barricaded the power station in Afam, Oyibo Local Government Area of Rivers.

The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Oyibo Local Government Council, Chisom Ngbali, who led the protest, said that the youth took the action after the host communities were allegedly disconnected from the power grid following their failure to pay electricity bills.

He said, “We went there (power station) and left the premises immediately after giving them instructions that if they don’t restore electricity to us; there won’t be electricity anywhere.

“PHED says they will not give host communities electricity until they make payment for electricity used which is not part of the agreement we have with the Federal Government.

“Host communities have been thrown into darkness for five days and counting and electricity supply is the only thing that we are benefiting from TCN’s presence in our communities.

“We had earlier given them the condition that if we must pay for electricity; TCN should employ our people and give us contracts as stated in the local content law.”

Ngbali claimed that host communities had an agreement with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration in 2006; and which granted host communities 20 years window of non-payment for electricity.

He said the 20 years period would expire in 2026, adding that the disconnection of electric supply to the area was illegal.

Ngbali claimed that no indigene of the communities was under the employ of TCN in spite of the company operating in the area for many years.

He said, “We cannot be in the midst of plenty and yet nothing is coming to our people. This is our land, and all the adverse effect on the environment is on us.”

The spokesman for PHED, Mr. John Onyi, said that the protesters’ action disrupted power supply to Port Harcourt and environs.

He said that PHED depended on transmission from TCN to enable it to distribute electricity to customers in the state.

Onyi condemned the protest and challenged host communities to produce the written agreement it had with the Federal Government which absolved them from paying for electricity.

He said, “We recall that on two different occasions in 2016, youths from Oyibo LGA carried out similar action, and to which, if unabated will continue to throw Port Harcourt city into unnecessary darkness.

“PHED condemns the actions of the youth and call on law enforcement agencies and Rivers Government to intervene and put a final stop to this frequent disruption of electricity distribution to customers.”

Source: Punch newspaper

BREAKING: Apostle Suleman quizzed, freed by DSS

General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman, was on Monday night allowed to go home after being quizzed by the Department of State Services for about three hours.

We learnt that the cleric secured his freedom about 10:45 pm amidst cheers from members of his congregation, friends, family and some of his pastors.

Suleman was invited by the Department of State Services based on his recent alleged inciting comments that Christians should defend themselves against attacks by Fulani herdsmen.

His Communications Adviser, Phrank Shaibu, confirmed his release in an interview with our correspondent on Monday night, but promised to give the details tomorrow. (Tuesday morning).

“Apostle Suleman has been allowed to go. The DSS exhibited high level of maturity, competence and professionalism.”, he stated.

But on his Facebook page, he simply wrote: “Jesus is Lord.”

source: punch newspaper

Naira reverses loss after dropping to 500/dollar

The naira dropped against the United States dollar from 498 to 500 at the parallel market during the early trading hours on Monday, crossing the critical threshold currency analysts had predicted.

Foreign exchange traders linked the development to relative scarcity of the greenback in the Forex market.

The local unit, however, reversed the loss during the intra-day trading and closed at 498/dollar.

The naira has been under persistent pressure as scarcity of the greenback continues to hit the market.

At the official market, the local unit closed at 305/dollar, the level it has traded at since August last year.

Meanwhile, the naira is expected to remain at 498/dollar at the parallel market as the Central Bank of Nigeria continues sales of the greenback to Bureau De Change operators.

The CBN had two weeks ago commenced sales of dollars to the BDC operators through Travelex, following a three-week break during the Yuletide season.

On Friday, the naira closed at 498/dollar at the black market, broadly unchanged from 497/dollar it recorded the previous weekend.

“Confidence is gradually returning to the forex market as a result of improved foreign exchange reserves, dollar sales by international money transfer agents and the central bank assurance it will continue to support the local currency,” one trader told Reuters.

Last Tuesday, the CBN said it would continue to provide hard currency, with priority given to manufacturing industries that need to import raw materials and spare parts.

Economic and financial analysts are slightly divided over the outlook for the naira this year.

Economic expert and Chief Executive Officer of Cocosheen Nigeria Limited, Mr. Henry Boyo, said the naira might crash to almost 1000/dollar at the parallel market this year if the CBN failed to review its monetary policy framework.

According to him, the policy framework is skewed against the local unit and it will be difficult for the naira to remain at the current rate.

A Nigeria-based investment bank and research advisory firm, Afrinvest West Africa Limited, predicted last Tuesday that the official exchange rate of the naira would tumble by about 31 per cent to 400/dollar before the end of this year.

In its 2017 economic outlook, the firm said the CBN might be forced by possible developments in the currency market to devalue the naira from the current 305/dollar to around 400/dollar.

“If you think about the monetary policy environment, we think that the CBN will be forced by the market to make a change. Currently, the naira is pegged at 305/dollar; we see it moving towards 400/dollar by the end of the year,” the Group Managing Director, Afrinvest, Mr. Ike Chioke, said at a press conference announcing the firm’s economic outlook.

US judgment: We’ll push for Kashamu’s arrest, says NDLEA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said it will push for the arrest of Senator Buruji Kashamu as the agency says it has been “emboldened and strengthened” by the latest ruling of a United States court, which ruled that the senator must face drug charges.

On Friday, The PUNCH reported that a US appeal court upheld the ruling against Kashamu, who is facing drug charges related to the hit TV show, “Orange is the New Black.”

With the ruling, the Senator, representing Ogun East Senatorial District, could be extradited to face trial in the US court.

The NDLEA also stated that it would ensure that orders stopping the arrest of the senator were vacated in a bid to pave the way for his extradition.

It further noted that it would not undermine the extradition agreement that Nigeria had with the US with respect to the case involving Kashamu, adding that the federal lawmaker must go to the US and clear his name.

The Head, Public Affairs, NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, told one of our correspondents in an interview on Sunday that the agency had a legal treaty with the US and would not compromise this agreement for any reason.

Asked to state the specific steps to be taken by the NDLEA on Kashamu with respect to the injunctions he obtained against the agency and considering the latest US court ruling, Ofoyeju said, “Already, there are actions ongoing to vacate those orders. So it is now important for us to pursue those actions to a conclusion because we now have a better ground to vacate those orders. And these are injunctions that he got restraining us from picking him up.

“You know that this development is a good reason for us to vacate those orders that he is not to be arrested.”

He stated that based on the latest US court ruling, the agency’s position had been “emboldened and strengthened and we will push for the vacation of every injunction stopping us.”

Ofoyeju added, “When those (restraining) orders are cleared, then we can go ahead with the extradition case. There is no point filing another one. The case that was filed is still in court. It is just that there are orders preventing that case and these orders need to be cleared so that the coast will be clear.”

On claims that the NDLEA had given up on Kashamu, the agency’s spokesperson declared, “No way, that is not true! We have not given up, but we don’t want to violate court orders. We will seek legal means and this case has emboldened our case here in Nigeria.”

Emphasising on the treaty between the US and the anti-drugs peddling agency, the NDLEA spokesperson said, “We have a legal treaty with the US on extradition, although his (Kashamu) case could be seen as an exception. We are going to respect the rule of law, but at the same time, we will ensure that whoever has a case to answer should be made to answer it within the ambits of the law.

“On the exceptionality of his case, he is a distinguished Senator and so our legal team will come up with the best legal option for him to clear himself because of the mutual legal agreement that we have with the US.

“The case is a very sensitive one because he is a serving Senator; but then, we have a mutual agreement with the US on things like this. It is an allegation, but let him go and clear himself.”

He stated that the Senator had secured an injunction, restraining the NDLEA from arresting him, but noted that the agency’s legal team was studying the cases against Kashamu both in Nigeria and in the US.

Ofoyeju said, “The court in the US has ruled and back home here, he has secured an injunction that he should not be arrested. So our legal team is currently studying the case, both the one in the US and the one in Nigeria. This is in order to know the next legal line of action, because he must clear himself. That is the position.

“So, as it is now we are going to look at the best legal action to take in order for his right not to be violated because he is a distinguished senator of the federal republic. However, at the same time, all necessary measures will be exploited for him to clear himself of whatever allegations that have been brought against him in the US.”

Chicago prosecutors had accused the Senator of heading a heroin trafficking ring in the 1990s.

Kashamu had, in April, 2015, asked a district court to put a hold on his “abduction abroad by US authorities.”

But in its ruling last Monday, the US court of appeal dismissed the complaint and upheld the ruling of the lower court.

The court said the attempt by US agents to arrest Kashamu in coordination with Nigerian authorities could not be termed “an attempted abduction.”

Many of those indicted in the case had pleaded guilty but Kashamu had maintained that his late brother was responsible for the crimes he was being accused of.

He said the 1998 indictment by a grand jury in Chicago for conspiracy to import and distribute heroin in the US was a case of mistaken identity, adding that the prosecutors really wanted a dead brother, who closely resembled him.

The court dismissed the complaint, and the US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling Monday, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

It said the US agents’ attempt to arrest Kashamu in coordination with local authorities would not constitute “an attempted abduction.”

The NDLEA in May, 2015, attempted to arrest Kashamu, then a Senator-elect, in connection with the heroin deal.

He was placed under house arrest at his Lagos home.

He instituted a suit at a Federal High Court in Lagos to prevent attempts to extradite him.

Justices Okon Abang and Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos, in separate judgments on May 27 and June 8 respectively, barred the NDLEA from extraditing Kashamu to the US.

In deference to the two judgments, Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Abuja Division of the court, on July 1, equally dismissed an application by the NDLEA, praying for an order to extradite Kashamu.

Kashamu had, on May 4, 2015, pre-emptively sued the NDLEA, AGF and others before Justice Abang, seeking to restrain them from arresting and extraditing him.

The judge heard the case on May 8, 2015, during which the NDLEA, AGF and other defendants denied making any move to arrest Kashamu and urged Justice Abang to dismiss the suit for being speculative and showing no reasonable cause of action.

After hearing the case on May 8, Justice Abang reserved his judgment till May 27, 2015.

But between May 23 and 25, 2015, operatives of the NDLEA laid siege to Kashamu’s house in Lekki, Lagos, wanting to arrest him, for the purpose of extraditing him to the US.

Kashamu, however, locked himself in and refused to turn himself over for arrest.

He later commenced contempt proceedings against the NDLEA, AGF and others before Justice Buba, alleging that the move to arrest him would be prejudicial to Justice Abang’s judgment, which was reserved for May 27, 2015.

Justice Buba agreed with Kashamu’s lawyer, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), and ordered the NDLEA operatives to vacate Kashamu’s house.

Justice Abang later delivered his judgment on May 27, 2015, barring the NDLEA, AGF and others from arresting and extraditing Kashamu.

The judgment was later affirmed on June 8, 2015 by Justice Buba, who held that Kashamu could not be extradited unless Justice Okon Abang’s judgment was set aside by the Court of Appeal.

The then Attorney of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), approached Justice Kolawole in Abuja, seeking a warrant for Kashamu’s arrest.

But in his judgment on July 1, 2015, Justice Kolawole said he was unable to grant the AGF’s request because of the two earlier judgments of Justices Abang and Buba, which had barred the FG from extraditing Kashamu.

“In conclusion, I am unable to exercise my jurisdiction pursuant to sections 6, 7 and 8 of the Extradition Act Cap E25 to accede to the application to issue a warrant to effect the arrest of the respondent for the reason, which I have analysed in this ruling, because the orders made by Justices Abang and Buba of the Federal High Court, sitting in the Lagos Judicial Division, have not been appealed against by the applicant or have been set aside by the appellate court,” Justice Kolawole held.

Three, four, five people’ll die before I’m extradited –Kashamu

Meanwhile, Kashamu said, on Saturday, that he believed that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government would not oblige the request by the US Government for his extradition.

The federal lawmaker, however, declared that before anybody could succeed to extradite him to the US to face trial for drug-related offences, “about three, four or five people will die.”

Kashamu, who described as illegal the move by the US to extradite him to the US to face alleged drug charges, said he believed that the Buhari government had integrity and had respect for the rule of law and would, therefore, not allow him to be taken away.

Arguing that the case brought against him by the US Government had been laid to rest by two British courts 14 years ago, and three Nigerian courts in 2015, all of which he said were not appealed, Kashamu said all that the US could do was to “abduct” him, claiming that no extradition proceedings could be lawfully commenced against him.

Kashamu, who claimed that he was mistaken for his younger brother, Adewale Kashamu, and was 14 years ago erroneously prosecuted by the US government in two English courts before he was exonerated, blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his recent travails.

He vowed that any attempt to ‘abduct’ him would be met with violence, saying he planned to engage the services of members of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress for protection.

The businessman added, “There is no extradition that can be brought against me again. The only thing they can do is to watch and catch me on the road; take me to the airport or Cotonou or throw me inside a vessel and take me through the Atlantic Ocean. But I am not going to let that happen.

“I don’t go to the beach, and now, I will go and hire OPC, may be like 40. I will load them (in my vehicle), because the day we meet, one has to kill one. That is for sure! One has to kill one because I am not ready to go anywhere. Before that happens, maybe about three, four or five people will die.

“But I do not believe that this government can entertain this kind of rubbish. I do believe that this government has integrity and they (officials) are credible; they believe in the rule of law, because if they want to do it, they could have done it. “Obasanjo has been pushing them, using one Sandra, a former ambassador of the United States; he’s the one pushing everybody, meeting all these judges, but what have I done?”

Source: Punch Newspaper