My Watch: Court stops Obasanjo from publishing his autobiography

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An Abuja High Court has ordered former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, from publishing or having someone publish on his behalf, his autobiography titled: ‘My Watch’.
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Justice Ashi, in a ruling, restrained Obasanjo from either publishing the book or have it published on his behalf by anybody, pending the determination of the main suit still pending before the court.

The order was made in favour of fugitive leader of the South west Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Buruji Kashamu. The application was argued ex-parte by Kashamu’s lawyer, Dr Alex Izinyon, SAN.

Iziyon had argued that the content of the book related to issues contained in Obasanjo’s December 2, 2013, letter to President Goodluck Jonathan and former PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, where he (Obasanjo) claimed that Kashamu was allegedly a fugitive, wanted in the United States.

He contended that since the content of the letter was the subject of the libel suit his client filed against Obsanjo, which is still pending before the court, it was wrong for the ex-president to be allowed to proceed to comment on, write books about or make publications on the issue yet to be decided by the court.

Justice Ashi, in a ruling, restrained Obasanjo from either publishing the book or have it published on his behalf by anybody, pending the determination of the main suit still pending before the court.

Speaking with Per Second News in September, Mr Eric Bright, a deputy in the U.S federal court appealed to Mr Buruji Kashamu, to make his way to the U.S to face charges filed in a Chicago federal court arising from an investigation into international drug ring.

Bright, said there was need for Nigerian government to allow Kashamu to pay for his alleged misdeeds without wasting time.
It’s been 16 years since the feds busted the heroin ring that inspired the hit Netflix show, “Orange is the New Black,” according to a Chicago based crime reporter.

The United States Court sitting in Chicago released his case file number for the first time in September and urge President Goodluck Jonathan to hand him over. He dictated Kashamu’ s file case with suit No 94CR172, noting that the PDP chieftain was intentionally delaying the case from proceeding.

Bright said, “We learnt that Alhaji Kashamu is deliberately delaying his case before the court. We are waiting for him to appear because the case before him is still pending. We, therefore urge Nigerian government to release him. We learnt that the man in question is a powerful politician in Nigeria.”

Kashamu was indicted by a US court in 1998, which alleged that he was a key player of an international drug smuggling ring.

He was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Chicago along thirteen persons, with conspiracy to import heroin into the United States and distribute.

Kashamu said that it was a case of mistaken identity and his late brother was the criminal.

But the U.S government has consistently said that the felon is Buruji, and not his brother the government of the U.S still regards Buruji Kashamu as a drug kingpin and a fugitive from the United States law, according to court documents obtained by Per Second News.

The official stated that it has never withdrawn its warrant of arrest against Kashamu maintaining further that the charges as to Kashamu remains and request the Nigerian government to be responsible and hand him over.

The United States Government recently accused Buruji Kashamu of using fraudulent means to obtain a German Visa in 2009. The U.S government notes in its brief that Kashamu communicated with German officials using the name “Buruji Kashamu Shodipe” instead of Buruji Kashamu.

According to the U.S government, Kashamu was indicted in the United States under the name “Buruji Kashamu” and the warrant of arrest against him was issued in that same name. It is the position of the U.S that any confusion by German officials that led to the issuance of a Schengen visa to Kashamu may have been caused by Kashamu’s use of the surname “Shodipe” in his application and communications with the German consulate.

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