The supremacy battle between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and a PDP chieftain in Ogun State seems to have shifted from the political scene to the law court. He is asking the court to prevent his possible extradition to the United States, US.
Today Friday, May 8, a federal high court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, heard the counter-affidavits by 12-respondents in the case brought before it by Kashamu but reserved “ruling or judgement” on the matter till 27 May.
Kashamu had filed a suit before the Justice Okon Abang-led court alleging that the respondents were planning to abduct and extradite him to US over alleged drug offence, to prevent him from being sworn in as senator-elect.
The respondents through their various counsels on Friday asked the court to strike out the application on the ground that it is frivolous, speculative, non-evidential and lacking in merit.
After hearing the arguments of counsels to all the parties, Abang said: “The matter is adjourned to 8 May, 2015, for ruling or judgement.” He explained that he needed to study the various affidavits to be able to rule or make judgement on whether the matter could be continued with or not.
Respondents in the case are: Inspector General of Police; Chairman, Nigerian Drug Law and Enforcement Agency, NDLEA; Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC; Director General, Department of State Security, DSS; Interpol National Central Bureau, NCB; and Attorney General of the Federation.
Clerk of the National Assembly; Nation Security Adviser to the President; Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC; Nigerian Customs Service, NCS; the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS; and Nigeria Securities and Civil Defence Corp are other respondents in the matter.
On a similar note, the judge rejected an application by Joshua Okah, counsel to the clerk of the National Assembly, 7th respondent, seeking to join Obasanjo in the suit.
Okah argued that there is need to join Obasanjo in the suit because of the “heavy allegation” of masterminding the respondents to extradite Kashamu as sworn to in the affidavit before the court.
But Alex Izinyon, SAN and lead counsel to the applicant, contended the argument, saying it is simply abuse of court processes while stating that Okah has no right under law to make case for Obansanjo in the matter.
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