A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has barred the Federal Government from seizing the properties of Senator Buruji Kashamu over alleged drug trafficking.
Justice Ibrahim Buba held that the seizure would amount to an abuse of powers for the respondents to infringe on Kashamu’s property rights without following due process.
The judge, however, restrained the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and the National Drug Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, from violating the senator’s rights to own property.
Kashamu sought for an order of perpetual injunction restraining NDLEA and the AGF from taking over his properties.
Kashamu said he learnt of moves by NDLEA and AGF to seize his properties, including a 24-flat housing estate at Egbe and several hectares of land on Lekki Peninsula, Lagos.
According to him, he acquired the properties, which he said were worth N20 billion, by dint of hard work and through his legitimate business.
He said the property were not proceeds of drug trafficking contrary to NDLEA’s allegation.
Arguing the application, his lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede, said Kashamu had been exonerated from charges of heroine importation into the United States of America.
He said two United Kingdom Courts also held that Kashamu has no case to answer, and that one of the courts held that he was mistaken for another person.
Ajibola said it was on the basis of the same dismissed charges that the Federal Government was making moves to seize his client’s properties.
But counsel for the AGF, Oyin Koleoso, urged the court to dismiss the suit because Kashamu had no evidence to back his claims.
“Of all the properties the applicant listed, there is nothing to link them with the applicant. No title documents. I urge the court to dismiss the application,” he said.
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