By Chris Otaigbe
The death of ex-Senator, grassroot, politician, controversial business tycoon and reputed outlaw, Buruji Kashamu, on Saturday, 8th August 2020, at the First Cardiology Hospital in Lagos, from complications arising from COVID-19 has come as a rude shock to family, friends, fans and foe alike and thrown open questions regarding his legacy, attracting commiseration from many, condemnation from a few. It was a hybrid of both from erstwhile political arch-enemy and anti-Kashamu bounty hunter, former President Olusegun Obasanjo who penned a not so disguised tongue-in-cheek ‘condolence’ to the Governor of Ogun State detailing the lifetime of the deceased as one of a highly manipulative fugitive from the law.
Although, his death attracted tears and sorrows among his people, kith and kin, Kashamu lived a life that touched families, friends and foes, appropriately.
While alive, Kashamu was able to confuse the courts, confound his critics, calm his constituency, call the bluff of those who wanted him to pay for his crime, countermand and crush cotemporaries’ attempt to kill his business and crash coup plots by his enemies against his political ambitions and agenda.
He was a fearless fighter in all ramifications of his life, yet his life was a vivid illustration of how Nigerians (who are alleged convicts, in Nigeria and elsewhere) apply proceeds of their crimes to buy political power, economic empowerment and the nation’s local justice system to escape justice.
Similarly, details of his life history are both a pungent reminder and pointer to the fact that there are many Buruji Kashamus, who continue to wield much power and influence at the commanding heights of the Nigerian political and economic system; who have may have also hijacked the nation’s social order and socio-cultural life.
As former President Olusegun Obasanjo said, while he escaped justice, Kashamu could not escape the long hand and firm grip of death. While it is meet that one agrees with the former President, it suffices at this time, to equally place on record that Obasanjo’s life trajectory of freebies from the Nigerian State and his criminal tendencies viz a viz his vicious act against truth, at every turn he had the opportunity to use power to enthrone truth for the good of the country is what may have made his path to cross with someone he now vilifies in life and in death as a criminal. This effectively makes the former President complicit of the crimes he may be condemning the dead of.
So, Kashamu’s death, like many controversial souls before him was not the issue but a hypocritical Obasanjo’s unforgiving ‘bad heart’ condolence message to the family of the deceased.
In a statement signed by his spokesman, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo said while Kashamu’s death was “sad”, his life and history left “lessons for those of us on this side of the veil.
“Senator Buruji Kashamu in his lifetime used the maneuver of law and politics to escape from facing justice on alleged criminal offence in Nigeria and outside Nigeria, but no legal, political, cultural, social, or even medical manoeuvre could stop the cold hand of death when the Creator of all of us decides that the time is up,” Obasanjo said.
In other words, the Ota Hilltop Landlord is telling Nigerians who may be sympathetic to the death of the late Senator, that the deceased was a ‘bad guy’ who did all he could to escape justice.
It is almost certain that, from his space in the great beyond, Kashamu would respond to Obj’s scathing posthumous remarks on his soul, with the same he (Kashamu) gave at some point when he was alive:
“First, it is now clear to all and sundry that why I have become Buruji, the target of Obasanjo’s wicked campaign of calumny and blackmail is his perceived loss of political relevance in Ogun State and the South West. In his 18-page satanic letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, I was the other person – indeed the only one (after the President) – that he singled out for his venomous attack. But if the truth be told, I am not the architect of whatever political woes that he is suffering today. Like David, I am just a tool in the hands of the almighty Allah Subhana wa tala. I am too small to confront a Goliath like him but for the almighty Allah who is the supporter of the suppressed and oppressed.
“In his usual hypocritical manner, he talked about not being able to work with me because of his principles and decency. But the questions Nigerians should ask him are: Where were these principles when he used me to fight Gbenga Daniel? Where was his self-righteousness when I took the party structure from Daniel and handed it to Obasanjo? Where was his decency when he brought Gen. Adetunji Olurin to me and asked that I should roll my structure behind his governorship ambition? Where was his morality when he introduced me to South West PDP leaders like Engr. Segun Oni, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd) and a host of others? Where was his discipline when he hosted me severally in his Hilltop mansion, taking me into his bedroom and innermost recesses? Where was his decency when he accepted donations from me to his church and other concerns? Where was his gumption when he mounted the rostrum to sing my praises, praying for me as he did in May 2010 during a reception for the former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye? I can go on and on!” Kashamu said.
Defeated by the Davidian conquest skills of Kashamu, OBJ carried out a public disclaimer of his membership of the Ogun State People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in his infamous tearing of his membership card of the party.
From Kashamu’s response to the former President’s persistent vitriol, it is now obvious that Obasanjo’s dramatic disclaimer of PDP may have been his trademark malicious manner of registering his defeat and displeasure against a party he was once a leader of.
Before OBJ takes over the story, this piece is about Kashamu and his life while he was a father, brother, uncle, contemporary, friend, foe, party man, political party member and philanthropist.
Anchored on his alleged drug trafficking crimes in the United States of America, the court cases and judgements speak volumes on the state of Nigeria’s judiciary.
Kahamu’s road to his evaded justice began when Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum (AIF) petitioned the Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington on why Senator Buruji Kashamu should be extradited to face alleged criminal trials preferred against him in the United States of America. A letter dated 2nd of July 2020 and signed by the Chairman of the anti-corruption body, Comrade Prince Kpokpogri, claimed Senator Kashamu was abusing court processes in a bid to continue to run away from his alleged crime. Kpokpogri said:
“If the U.S. Department of Justice is willing to extradite Mr. Buruji Kashamu, such request would be granted easily now since the Nigerian court has not thrown its weight to the UK Magistrate Court’s decision over extradition of Mr. Kashamu. Mr. Kashamu was able to restrain the Nigerian Attorney General from executing an extradition request by the United States in a judgment cited in suit No: 49/2010 at the Federal High Court in Abuja but the matter is currently being appealed because it appears the judgment in suit No: 49/2010 was based on a UK Court ruling on the same matter and was probably misconstrued for an acquittal. However, it does not amount to acquittal as stated in section 4(a) (b) of the Extradition Act that ‘A fugitive criminal shall not be surrendered if the Attorney General or a court dealing with the case is satisfied that, whether in Nigeria or elsewhere, he (a) has been convicted on offence for which his surrender is sought; or (b) has been acquitted thereof, and that, in a case falling within paragraph (a) of this subsection, he is not unlawfully at large.” The anti-corruption organization deposited.
It further stated that in the case of Kashamu, a habeas corpus suit against the United States while seeking to extradite him from Nigeria would not apply since he has not been convicted or acquitted of an offence.
“As you can see, the judgment was given based on assumption that Mr. Buruji Kashamu was acquitted by the London Court, however, facts say otherwise. It will interest you to know that Justice Joseph Ikyeghi in the judgments marked CA/L/1030/15 and CA/L/1030A/15 in the appeal filed by the Nigerian Attorney General held that the orders granted in favour of Mr. Kashamu by Justice Okon Abang were invalid because they were based on hearsays and speculations by Mr. Buruji Kashamu. Permit us to assert that this is a ripe opportunity for the US to institute an extradition request for Mr. Buruji Kashamu,” Kpokpogri affirmed.
Comrade Kpokpogri therefore called on the Nigerian government to avail the US government all necessary assistance to enable her extradite Senator Buruji Kashamu to face criminal charges in the US,” Kpokpogri stated.
Even though it promised to address a press conference in Abuja to release what he described as “water-tight documents detailing about 32 points evidences based” on reasons the US government should immediately extradite Senator Buruji Kashamu for prosecution in the US, that pledge remained unfulfilled.
“Despite the fact that the case had remained opened in a court in Chicago since 1998, the matter is still of interest to Nigeria and Nigerians at large.” He maintained, nonetheless.
During the six-day siege by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on his house in Lagos, in May 2015, Kashamu instituted multiple Law suits to wag off the anti-illicit Drug Agency off his tail, urging the court to restrain the respondents and their agents from arresting or detaining him in any manner whatsoever, or interfering with his right to personal liberty and freedom of movement.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke had taken arguments in the suit from respective parties and had reserved his judgment until April 29.
On April 29, judgment could not be delivered in the suit as the period fell within the Easter vacation, and the court did not sit and the matter was consequently adjourned.
At the resumed hearing of the matter, Mr Ichakpa Oigoga was the only counsel who appeared on the side of the defense; he announced appearance for the NDLEA.
The court then asked him if he was aware of a letter written by the applicant, and when he replied no, Justice Aneke asked the registrar to show him a copy of the letter.
After reading the letter, Oigoga informed the court that defense would file its counter affidavit in opposition.
The judge said that since a letter had already been written, the court had a duty to hear every party. The court consequently adjourned the case until May 23, for hearing.
In the letter, the applicant is seeking to reopen argument in the case, which had already been concluded and adjourned for judgment.
In a supporting affidavit, the applicant averred that by a newspaper publication, the Attorney General of the Federation was reported to have said that the US government had been told to make fresh request for his extradition, after the former proceedings were dismissed.
He averred that in a proceeding instituted in England by the US authorities between 2002 and 2003, it was established that he was not the one implicated in the alleged narcotics offence committed in the US in 1994. As it has turned out, either the US had given up before Kashamu died, knowing that since the alleged convict had been able to buy off power and justice to his side in a country that have been globally condemned as both individually and institutionally corrupt, or their allegations died with their fugitive.
Having escaped from international justice system, Kashamu was now able to focus his energy on taking on political and business rivals.
On his tussle with PDP bigwigs, Kashamu floored Obasanjo as he successfully made the court to sack Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as the party’s secretary, in 2013.
A Federal High Court in Abuja sacked the secretary to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
The former Osun State governor was dragged before the Federal High Court by a Kashamu-led faction of the party’s Ogun state chapter.
The chairman and secretary of the Ogun State chapter of the party, Adebayo Dayo and Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, contested the retention of Oyinlola as secretary of the party after a Federal High Court in Lagos had cancelled the zonal congress which produced him.
The court, presided over by Justice Abdul Kafarati, agreed with the plaintiffs, represented by Amaechi Nwaiwu, admitting that the former governor is not fit to hold the office of PDP party secretary after the process, which produced him, has been declared defective.
His victory was further endorsed and reinforced by a Supreme Court judgement as the controversy over the executive committee of the Ogun State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the list of candidates for the 2019 general election was laid to rest.
In February, 2019, the Supreme Court struck out the appeal of the PDP seeking to relist its appeal against the 24th June, 2016 judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which affirmed the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Exco.
The committee was backed by the lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Buruji Kashamu, who had been locked in a battle for the control of the state party structure and candidates’ list.
Although, the Adebutu faction was recognized by the national body of the PDP, the Kashamu-led faction was recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This was a major blow to the height of Obasanjo’s humiliation in the hands of younger Kashamu and vindictive Obasanjo never gives up on a fight.
However, you can’t win them all. Close to the second quarter of this year, Kashamu’s four-year reign, over the PDP Ogun apparatus was truncated a year later in 2020 as Ogun PDP crisis got messier when INEC disowned his factional congress in March.
The crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State took a new turn when Hon. Ladi Adebutu faction applied all efforts to take control of the party’s structure in Ogun State.
Since 2015, the Sen. Buruji Kashamu’s faction had been in total control of the party, with court judgement protecting its Bayo Dayo-led party executive members till May 9, 2020.
PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), under Uche Secondus, had earlier suspended Kashamu from the party in 2018; but the suspension could not take effect as the former Senator sought protection from the court.
It will also be recalled that Kashamu succeeded in becoming the governorship candidate of the party in the state in 2019, despite the stiff resistance from the NWC.
As the party prepared for another congress, the two factions renewed their rivalry as they made moves to outsmart each other.
Following the exit of the party Chairman, Chief Bayo Dayo, from Kashamu group, who later joined the Ladi Adebutu faction, Kashamu finally lost control of the Party.
Earlier, some members of the state executive committee, led by the Secretary, Mr Semiu Sodipo, dumped the Kashamu group and joined forces with the Adebutu faction. Out of the 14-member executive committee, 13 belong to the Adebutu group, while the Kashamu camp is left with only the Assistant Auditor. It is obvious that the Adebutu group has taken over the structure.
Both Kashamu and Adebutu had been locked in litigation over the ticket, as both emerged from two parallel congresses. Kashamu emerged from the congress conducted by the Dayo-led group, while Adebutu emerged from the congress conducted by the Sikirulai Ogundele-led faction, backed by the NWC.
But, INEC recognised the list of candidates that emerged from the congress conducted by the Dayo-led group. The electoral body explained that it accepted candidates from Kashamu’s camp “in compliance with a subsisting court judgment that pronounced them as right candidates”. INEC added that it recognised the candidates because their names were recognised by the courts.
Despite the court judgment, the NWC vowed not to have anything to do with Kashamu. It insisted that Adebutu remained the candidate of the party. Kashamu ran the governorship campaign without support from the NWC. The Adebutu group struck an alliance with Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the platform on which aggrieved member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) contested the 2019 elections.
But, Kashamu insists that members of the Adebutu group are no longer in the PDP because they had signed an agreement with another party in 2019. He said, “They signed a binding and subsisting three-year agreement with the APM in Ogun State, which was publicly announced on March 7, 2019; few days to the governorship election. They have just done a year and the agreement will lapse in 2022. These elements have neither repudiated the agreement nor have they formally returned to the PDP.”
However, a lawyer has dismissed Kashamu’s argument. He said during elections, political parties can come together for the purpose of winning election without losing their party identities. He said it is permissible in law because “the Adebutu group entered into an agreement with APM for the purpose of election and so did not renounce their membership of the PDP”.
Kashamu had threatened to fight Dayo to the end. He described Dayo as a bad leader and a greedy politician without conscience. The senator had also vowed to challenge the illegality and injustice within the ambits of the law and other internal mechanisms of the party.
He said, “I was never opposed to any reconciliatory move by the party; there was never a genuine reconciliation move with other faction led by Ladi Adebutu. I viewed the reconciliation move as imperative but with a condition that Ladi Adebutu should publicly repudiate the three-year agreement he had with the APM.”
He added, “Instead of Bayo to embrace openness and transparency, he chose to sidestep everyone and went behind to betray the party structure and purportedly sold it. I have never opposed any reconciliatory move because I know a tree does not make a forest. But, having shown his hands, Dayo cannot preside over any reconciliatory move. He cannot even be part of it because he does not have the integrity to do so. Rather, it should be championed by those who have the trust and confidence of the two main tendencies. The national leadership of the party is in a better position to call everyone, hear from them and resolve the issues in order for the PDP to move forward in Ogun State.
“Reconciliation is a process. Parties have to meet, discuss and agree on the modalities and terms of the settlement. There was no way he would think that just because he was the state chairman, he could decide for all the leaders, elders and stakeholders.”
On the purported agreement by Dayo, Kashamu said, “Any agreement that he signed with anyone would not stand. Doing so after he was suspended for anti-party activities render the whole move a nullity. It can never work. When we get to that bridge, we would cross it. He is trying hard to justify the money he was paid to betray all the party leaders and executives.”
But Dayo had advised Kashamu to either flow with the wind of reconciliation blowing in the party or be left in the cold. He said Kashamu should know that the era of acting as the sole proprietor or de-facto owner of Ogun PDP has gone for good. He said the opposition party was already charting a new course of action where the party is owned and controlled by the people and not just an individual.
Dayo described his removal as the height of illegality, null and void. He said by the virtue of being the party chairman, he is a member of National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party and no organ of the party, except the national leadership, can discipline him. He said, “Kashamu is not a member of NEC, and that is why all that they have done was null and void. None of the people in the party secretariat is a member of Ogun State PDP executive committee. Bamgbose who is now calling himself the acting Chairman is the Assistant Auditor. They are all bunch of jesters and irritants. They are only doing a paid job for their master.
“The truth is that I remain Ogun PDP chairman. I was being bullied and attacked by Kashamu’s loyalists because the senator had told me to back off from my ongoing reconciliation moves with the Adebutu group and end the 10-year needless crisis.
What actually happened was that Dayo wrote a letter to the lawyer representing the party, debriefing him, claiming that the Party no longer required his services because the other group under Adebutu had reached out to Dayo’s faction for reconciliation and that negotiation was ongoing.
“We have agreed to share the party’s position between the two groups in the coming congress. However, when Kashamu learned about this development from the party lawyer, he asked me to back off, but I told him that time has come to reason with ourselves and unite the party. I said it is only a fool that will continue to do the same thing the same way and expect a different result. I told him that our losses in 2011, 2015 and 2019 were because of this division and needless infightings, which we must bury once and for all.” Dayo reported.
Another battle Kashamu took on was one that concerned his business. He fought hard and he fought dirty where measures demanded, and he fought till his end, using all weapons and tools available to him including the machineries of the state.
Owner of Western Lotto, he vowed to fight to the finish over the right obtained to operate Ghana-based game in Nigeria.
Western Lotto had been contending with Premier Lotto, owned by billionaire businessman and philanthropist, Sir Kessington Adebutu, and other lottery and betting game operators in Nigeria.
The battle between the companies over the rights to a Ghana-based game, leading to a N500bn suit, which the House of Representatives attempted to resolve.
Nigerian Licensed Lottery Operators’ Forum (NLLOF) and National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), which backed Premier Lotto faulted Western Lotto out-of-court settlement’s proposal.
In a message to the Director-General of the NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, Kashamu alleged that those opposing the terms of agreement proposed by Western Lotto were those short-changing the Federal Government of its due revenue from the sector.
He said the Lotto guideline indicated that 24.5% net proceeds should be paid to the commission and claimed not many of the operators had been paying till date.
“While some people haven’t been paying or short-changing the government by paying a manipulated percentage of one per cent, those who continue to short-change the government feel that the Ghana game is not officially represented by anybody in Nigeria, therefore there is no need to declare or pay any tax to the commission or pay royalty to the owners of the game.” He stated.
On March 18, 2020, the House of Representatives attempted some level of intervention in the crisis, as its committee on Inter-Governmental Affairs met with stakeholders in the industry in Abuja.
The resolution to settle the rift was based on a motion moved by a member of the House, Akin Alabi, who equally owns a sports betting company, NairaBet, and is incidentally the chairman of the committee.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had gone after Premier Lotto based on a petition by Western Lotto, alleging crimes ranging from tax fraud to economic sabotage. The Kashamu-owned company had also petitioned the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Western Lotto had also dragged the National Lottery Regulatory Commission and 24 lottery operators, including Premier Lotto, before a Federal High Court over alleged infringement against its intellectual property rights to a gaming product known as ‘Ghana Games’.
Born in Ogun State, Nigeria on 19 May 1958, Kashamu started his education at Ansarudeen Primary School, Ijebu Igbo and left in 1972 to complete his primary school education at St. John Modern School, Lagos.
He then attended evening classes at Igbobi College while working as a licensing agent and later went to London where he took courses in Business Management at Pitman College, London. He was awarded an honorary PhD by an unaccredited, diploma-mill Cambridge Graduate University, located in Massachusetts, at a privately organized ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria.
Cambridge Graduate University claims to be accredited by the International Accreditation Organization (IAO). The IAO itself is listed as part of unrecognized higher education accreditation organizations. Cambridge Graduate University is not a recognized university in the United States due to this lack of accreditation.
In any case, Kashamu has lived the life and left it to those who appreciate his efforts, those who felt bruised by his brutal politics and those who battled him to the end in business. And so, good or bad, for family, friends and foes, he has firmly founded his footprints on the sand of time and history.
Instructively, and for someone Obasanjo would have loved people to vilify, even in death, Kashamu was buried amid ‘sincere’ tears by the thousands whose lives, he touched with his generosity.
Such emotions would clearly validate former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, who lambasted Obasanjo on his tweeter handle, over the former President’s comment on Buruji Kashamu‘s death.
“It is regrettable that Obasanjo could say what he said about Buruji Kashamu after his death and when he can no longer question him. Why didn’t he say that when Kashamu was alive? Can Obasanjo say in good conscience that he did not at some point collaborated with Kashamu and most of the things he (Kashamu) did politically were not with his collaboration? Nigerians will watch out for Obasanjo’s own end. He should stop forming saint because he is not. He should also remember that his own end will come too and nobody knows how the end will be.” he tweeted.
Therefore, wherever he may be, right now, between heaven and hell, he may be smiling and perhaps poking fun at his immortal enemy, Obasanjo. If he could speak, he would echo Fayose’s sentiment, saying to OBJ… “shame on you, Baba…Your desire for my people to scorn my death with loathe and regrets have fallen like a pack of cards, as my people adorned my soul with tears in thanks forft all I did for th em while I was alive. I doubt if they will EVER, do that about you, alive and when you eventually join me…
