Buruiji Kashamu hangs on as S’Court fixes date for appeal

The Supreme Court on  Friday fixed June 10, to resume hearing in an appeal filed by Senator Buruji Kashamu to stop the federal government from extraditing him over alleged drug trafficking.

It would be recalled that the lawmaker was billed to be extradited to the United States of America (USA) following two appeal judgements in favour of the Federal government.

The fresh hearing date has been communicated through issuance of hearing notices to the three parties involved in the legal tussle.

The Apex Court is to determine the validity of the two judgments delivered in favour of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) by the Lagos division of Court of Appeal on May 4, last year.

Kashamu had in his notice of appeal to Supreme Court complained that the Court of Appeal erred in law by voiding and setting aside the two judgments of the Federal High Court, Abuja which barred Federal Government from going ahead with his extradition.

The embattled senator is praying the Apex Court to set aside the decisions of the Court of Appeal as they affected him.

But the AGF, acting on behalf of the Federal Government has joined issues with him with a counter prayer that the Apex Court should uphold the judgments of the Court of Appeal which cleared coast for his extradition.

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Also, the AGF claimed that the Appeal Court was right in setting aside the judgments of the High Court because they were based on hearsay evidence of Kashamu before the court.

The AGF urged the Supreme Court to allow the judgments of the Court of Appeal to enable the Federal government extradite the Senator to USA to prove his innocence or otherwise in the hard drug criminal charge filed against him by the American government since 2015 when he was alleged to have escaped to Nigeria.