Nigeria's NDLEA as law unto itself
May 29 2015 By Abi Giwa
Buruji Kashamu
There are 12 masked armed men inside the bedroom; they don’t even talk or say anything to know whether they are Nigerians or foreigners, and household members are packed in one room - the Nigerian Guardian newspaper.
Reports from Nigeria is bad. As the country inaugurates a newly elected democratic president, a government agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has chosen to disobey court rulings and acting brigandage in what it calls effort to arrest and extradite a senator-elect to the United States for drug related offenses.
Some newspapers had reported on Thursday that agents of the NDLEA had vacated the senator's house. But the Guardian newspapers has just reported that the NDLEA goons are still occupying the senator-elect's home.
According to the news report, there are 12 masked armed men inside Kashamu's bedroom; they don’t even talk or say anything to know whether they are Nigerians or foreigners. Can you remember what happened to Fela Anikulapo Kuti for daring the man of power who would do anything to destroy people he cannot control?
"This government he bad o. Wet in den say this Fela do? Fela talk about soldiers flogging civilians for street. This government he bad o. Suddenly, suddenly, dem de break; dém de rape, dem de burn, de commot one student's eyes, they throw my Mama; suddenly, suddenly, they throw my Mama out from from window, 78 years old Mama, political Mama ideology Mama dem thrown Mama. Dem kill my Mama."
This line is from a song "Unknown Soldiers" by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, recorded after soldiers stormed his house, razed it and threw his mother out and the woman died. The same power that exhibited naked and raw exercise of evil power at that time are the same that are currently exercising stupid power against Buruji Kashamu, whose house has been surrounded by the NDLEA on the pretext that they have extradition request from the United States.
This power group he bad o. Wet den say this Kashamu do. Kashamu stepped on their toes. Let 'suddenly' not happen in this Kashamu's case, as it happened in Fela's case.
And what has been witnessed in the house arrest of Buruji Kashamu shows the manner the power in Nigeria exhibits its rawness and its lack of respect for the law, and that it only applies the law when it suits its whim and caprice.
Fela said his house was raided because he talked about soldiers. Jonathan made Kahasmu PDP's leader in Ogun State and Kashamu's acceptance of the leadership position is the sin that Kashamu has committed.
What Kashamu is going through now is not for whatever crime he has committed in the United States. Whatever crime he has committed in the US has only become a smokescreen that the 'Nigerian man of raw power is using to want to get rid of him.
Fela sang that after they had killed his mother, they kept him and all of the people arrested in his home in jail for 27 days. After he was released from jail, his house and land were seized through what he called government magic.
It is sad for Nigeria that the NDLEA is conspired with a man whose brutality against adversaries is known to be legendary. And at a time that the country is transiting for the first time in what has been described as a democratic experience never witnessed in Nigeria before now.
The rule of law is being truncated openly with impunity of the first order. The court has asked the zombies who have surrounded Kashmau's house to vacate the premises. But the zombies have refused to vacate Kashamu's house, because their monkeyish leader has not given them the order to vacate. And Giade - the NDLEA boss is AWOL.
No one has said Buruji Kashamu is an angel. No matter his crime, shouldn't people in government understand the meaning of disobeying court's ruling in a democratic society?
"They surround the place kwam, kwam, kwam, dem de they wait for order. Dem de rape, dem de break heads, dem commot one student's eyes. The same unknown soldier that broke Fela's house have broken into Kashamu's house and have broken the rule of law and the bastion of democracy we hold dear by their refusal to obey court orders.
Reports from Nigeria is bad. As the country inaugurates a newly elected democratic president, a government agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has chosen to disobey court rulings and acting brigandage in what it calls effort to arrest and extradite a senator-elect to the United States for drug related offenses.
Some newspapers had reported on Thursday that agents of the NDLEA had vacated the senator's house. But the Guardian newspapers has just reported that the NDLEA goons are still occupying the senator-elect's home.
According to the news report, there are 12 masked armed men inside Kashamu's bedroom; they don’t even talk or say anything to know whether they are Nigerians or foreigners. Can you remember what happened to Fela Anikulapo Kuti for daring the man of power who would do anything to destroy people he cannot control?
"This government he bad o. Wet in den say this Fela do? Fela talk about soldiers flogging civilians for street. This government he bad o. Suddenly, suddenly, dem de break; dém de rape, dem de burn, de commot one student's eyes, they throw my Mama; suddenly, suddenly, they throw my Mama out from from window, 78 years old Mama, political Mama ideology Mama dem thrown Mama. Dem kill my Mama."
This line is from a song "Unknown Soldiers" by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, recorded after soldiers stormed his house, razed it and threw his mother out and the woman died. The same power that exhibited naked and raw exercise of evil power at that time are the same that are currently exercising stupid power against Buruji Kashamu, whose house has been surrounded by the NDLEA on the pretext that they have extradition request from the United States.
This power group he bad o. Wet den say this Kashamu do. Kashamu stepped on their toes. Let 'suddenly' not happen in this Kashamu's case, as it happened in Fela's case.
And what has been witnessed in the house arrest of Buruji Kashamu shows the manner the power in Nigeria exhibits its rawness and its lack of respect for the law, and that it only applies the law when it suits its whim and caprice.
Fela said his house was raided because he talked about soldiers. Jonathan made Kahasmu PDP's leader in Ogun State and Kashamu's acceptance of the leadership position is the sin that Kashamu has committed.
What Kashamu is going through now is not for whatever crime he has committed in the United States. Whatever crime he has committed in the US has only become a smokescreen that the 'Nigerian man of raw power is using to want to get rid of him.
Fela sang that after they had killed his mother, they kept him and all of the people arrested in his home in jail for 27 days. After he was released from jail, his house and land were seized through what he called government magic.
It is sad for Nigeria that the NDLEA is conspired with a man whose brutality against adversaries is known to be legendary. And at a time that the country is transiting for the first time in what has been described as a democratic experience never witnessed in Nigeria before now.
The rule of law is being truncated openly with impunity of the first order. The court has asked the zombies who have surrounded Kashmau's house to vacate the premises. But the zombies have refused to vacate Kashamu's house, because their monkeyish leader has not given them the order to vacate. And Giade - the NDLEA boss is AWOL.
No one has said Buruji Kashamu is an angel. No matter his crime, shouldn't people in government understand the meaning of disobeying court's ruling in a democratic society?
"They surround the place kwam, kwam, kwam, dem de they wait for order. Dem de rape, dem de break heads, dem commot one student's eyes. The same unknown soldier that broke Fela's house have broken into Kashamu's house and have broken the rule of law and the bastion of democracy we hold dear by their refusal to obey court orders.
