President Mohammadu Buhari has been challenged by youths in the
northern part of Nigeria to either expedite the extradition of Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP senator from Ogun State, Prince Buruji Kashamu
to the United States of America to face trial for drug trafficking or
forget about his anti-corruption fight.
The youths, Northern Youths Movement (NYM) said in a release signed by
its Chairman, Mallam Ishaya Jato on Thursday that President Buhari
cannot claim to be fighting corruption, while at the same time
protecting a fugitive like Senator Buruji Kashamu because of politics.
The NYM said if at the twilight of the government of former President
Goodluck Jonathan, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
commenced the process of extraditing Senator Kashamu to the USA and
the US Department of Justice said it was “fully ready to assist”
Nigeria with proper documentation on his (Kashamu) extradition and
express trial before a US District Judge in Chicago, Judge Charles
Richard Norgle, President Buhari has no excuse for keeping Kashamu in
Nigeria till this moment.
The youths pointed out that the NDLEA had said in May 2016, through
its Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Ofoyeju Mitchell, that the agency’s
men invaded Kashamu’s residence in Lekki, Lagos State in response to
the extradition request formally made to the Nigerian government by
its American counterpart.
They accused the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and
Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, as the brains behind President
Buhari’s refusal to accede to the extradition of Senator Kashamu.
The youths said the duo of El-Rufai and Amaechi were using Kashamu to
destroy the PDP in furtherance of their 2019 Presidential and Vice
Presidential ambition.
The NYM reiterated its position that said Buruji Kashamu was afraid of
being extradited to the USA to face trial for alleged drug trafficking
and he is ready to do anything to kill the PDP for El-Rufai and
Amaechi.
The group, which called for immediate extradition of Senator Kashamu
to the USA, said President Buhari must not allow anyone to cast
aspersion on his anti-corruption fight by hobnobbing with a fugitive
just because of presidential ambition.
