Contrary to claims by the estranged political associate of Olusegun
Obasanjo and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Ogun
State, Buruji Kashamu, that he is no longer wanted by the United States
authorities for drugs smuggling, the U.S. has confirmed that Kashamu is
still very much wanted.
In an exclusive email obtained by AfricanSpotlight from
the U.S Department of Justice in Illinois on January 23, Randall
Samborn, Public Information Officer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in
Chicago says, “There is still a warrant for his arrest in the United
States, and the case remains pending.”
Samborn added that “Last week, his attorneys filed a new motion to
dismiss the indictment in U.S. District Court for the Northern District
of Illinois, and that is set for a status hearing on Jan. 31, at which
time the Court will likely set a briefing schedule for both sides to
submit written arguments before any decision is made.”
It would be recalled that news about The 20-year old case came to the
fore recently when Kashamu was
appointed leader of the PDP in the
southwest.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a PDP heavyweight, rejected the
appointment and threatened to leave the party, saying that Kashamu is a
wanted man in the United States.
Mr. Obasanjo had, in an open letter to President Goodluck and the
leadership of the PDP, frowned at Mr. Kashamu’s elevation as a party
leader in the South-West geopolitical zone where the former president
hails from, vowing not to participate at party functions if Mr. Kashamu
remained at his post.
The former president described Mr. Kashamu, who is the Chairman of
the Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of PDP, South West, as a
“habitual criminal” wanted by the United States government on drug
charges.
To back his claim, Mr. Obasanjo forwarded to the president and the
PDP leadership, a cache of incriminating documents on Mr. Kashamu,
including court papers and media clippings.
One of the documents, a clip of the Chicago Tribune newspaper edition
of November 14, 2013, marked No 1 by Mr. Obasanjo quoted the U.S
attorney’s office as saying Mr. Kashamu “is still wanted on charges
alleging his drug ring moved millions of dollars’ worth of heroin from
Europe and Southeast Asia through O’Hare International Airport during
the 1990s.”
Mr. Kashamu has denied wrongdoing, alleging that Mr. Obasanjo was crying foul because he had lost relevance in the PDP.
Source: SaharaReporters
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