A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday ordered Senator Buruji Kashamu representing Ogun East Senatorial District to surrender himself to the Police over the attempted murder of a member of the House of Representatives, Oladipupo Adebutu.
Mr Kashamu, 59, had approached the court asking it to stop an investigation which began after Mr Adebutu filed a petition dated August 22, 2016 to the police over alleged threat to his life.
Adebutu alleged that the senator alongside some thugs attempted to assassinate him during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on August 16, 2016.
Kashamu, however, informed the court that the petition was a ploy to have him arrested and extradited to the United States of America where he is wanted for drug trafficking.
His lawyer, Raphael Oluyede, asked the court to ensure the fundamental rights of the embattled politician are not abused by the police whom he alleged want to hand him over to the US authorities against his will.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba said the law empowers the police to invite and investigate any Nigerian for such an offence as that alleged against Kashamu.
Dimgba said by virtue of the law, the police are bound to invite the applicant and that he is bound to respect the invitation. The judge added that the allegation about a ploy to forcefully take the applicant to the US was baseless and without any foundation.
“I do not see how the police can be faulted by acting within the constitution to invite the senator. I do not believe that the allegation of ploy to extradite the applicant to the United States of America is justified here.
“Police is bound to set up an investigating panel and the senator is bound to submit himself to the organs of the police including honouring the letter of investigation,” the judge ruled.
Consequently, the court asked Kashamu to submit himself for questioning by the special investigation panel set up by the inspector general of police to look into the allegation of attempted murder brought against him.
