Fear now reigns supreme in the life and camp of Ogun-East Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu. Sources who should know told YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine that the controversial politician and multi-millionaire businessman no longer sleeps with both eyes closed. “And that is the irony of it all. While others who excelled during the elections are rejoicing, we are not particularly doing that because anything can still happen to our principal.
“We would have been happier and more relaxed if Jonathan had won, because we are in the same party (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) and really worked for him. But with an opposition party that we worked against now ready to take over, they might decide to move against our principal. We know that they don’t like him and may see this as an opportunity to finally get back at him”.
Buruji, not unmindful of this, had weeks backs tried to curry Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s favour by showering him with encomiums and addressing him as his role model. Of course, Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, saw beyond the encomiums and quickly distanced himself from him. As if that was not enough, he stated that not only does he not want to have anything to do with Kashamu, the Senator-elect should also proceed to America to respond to the drug allegation that had been trailing him.
Kashamu, for years now, has been battling the obnoxious drug baron allegation. In fact, it was one of the reasons that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and out-going President Goodluck Jonathan fell out. Obasanjo accused Jonathan of categorically handing over the PDP structure in Ogun State to a drug baron, and thus decided to withdraw his support from him. Coupled with other issues.
An inside source told us that we may witness again a re-enactment of what happened to another controversial legislator, Chief Morris Ibekwe, after being sworn in, in 1999. Ibekwe, popularly known as Okwelle Holdings and then a House of Reps. members from Imo State, was picked up from the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly (in Abuja) by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, EFCC Chairman, over allegations bordering on 419. He was clamped in Kirikiri Prisons, but died before his case was concluded.
“For Kashamu, they may not detain him here. Their plan, from what I’m hearing, is to extradite him to the US or UK soon after their swearing-in ceremony and upon being picked up. I guess it was to pre-empt them that even Kashamu himself cried out in the papers weeks before the new Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, was announced that Obasanjo was plotting to unleash the man on him. Now, he’s been made the acting IGP, so you can imagine what might follow soon.
“Kashamu has always been a brave and tough guy, but I can tell you now that he’s scared. Very scared, because he can’t predict how this game that is playing out between him and the forces against him will end. His numerous followers and constituents are equally afraid, because their financial tap will stop running once those after him succeed”.
We contacted his media aide, Austin Oniyokor on Sunday, April 26, 2015 concerning the issue. His response: “Maybe you should ask the INTERPOL or the Ministry of Justice. We have issued statements all the while. We have replied those who wished to know severally and as far as I am concerned, if anyone said he may be extradited or it’s in the process, let the person bring a request to that effect and let us put it in the public domain, let people see it. It is as simple as that. Let them say it out that there’s a request to that effect; that he is set to be extradited”.
Born on May 19, 1948, Kashamu is from Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State and attended Abusi Odumare Academy in his village. The Chairman/CEO of Kasmal Group of Companies, he is into oil & gas, hospitality, automobile, among other things. Not new to controversies, he hardly loses any battle – from his war with ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel to the one with one of his estranged lovers, Rosemary Osula (aka Rosula) and others. Vehemently also, he has continued to assert his innocence as per the allegation that he is being investigated by the FBI in the United States of America for drug-related offences. According to him, he’s not a drug baron, but only a victim of mistaken identity.