He manoeuvred law and politics to evade justice, but not death ― Obasanjo mourns Kashamu

TRACKING____Nigerian former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday condoled with the Ogun State Governor on the demise of Senator Esho Jinadu (popularly known as Buruji Kashamu).

In his letter of condolence dated August 8 and addressed to the Ogun governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Obasanjo described late Kashamu as a significant citizen of the state.

Obasanjo who was writing from Agbe L’Oba House, Quarry Road, Ibara in Abeokuta, Ogun State, described the life and history of Kashamu as a journey that should offer lessons for “those of all us on this side of the veil”.

“Senator Esho Jinadu (Buruji Kashamu) in his lifetime used the manoeuvre 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.

“May Allah forgive his sin and accept his soul into Aljanah, and may God grant his family and friends to bear the irreparable loss.”

Kashamu during his lifetime was a vigorous critic of the former military head of state.

Obasanjo had alleged Kashamu was involved in drug pushing and that he was a wanted fugitive in the United States.

In 2014, Kashamu sued Obasanjo N20 billion for libel. The suit was referenced when Justice Valentine Ashi of an Abuja High Court at Wuse Zone 2 at the time ordered Obasanjo to desist from further publishing, printing or offering for sale, his book, ‘My Watch’, which content touches on the subject matter of the suit pending before him.

Kashamu had insisted that portions of the book dwelt on his alleged involvement in drug pushing and an allegation that he is a wanted fugitive in America, a subject matter he said had already been surrendered to a competent court of jurisdiction.

In an interview with Vanguard in October 2014, angry Kashamu reacting to allegations by Obasanjo, said; “How dare Obasanjo, talk about morality and integrity?

“Where was his morality and integrity when I was busy running errands for him?

“Let’s ask him, how many of his ex-president friends in other parts of the world have the kind of wealth he has as an ex-president? They don’t have money. Whatever they have, they made from their consultancies.

“Obasanjo is talking about morality and integrity, he must be a joker. He is supposed to be one of the fathers of Nigeria, particularly in Yorubaland, just as Gowon and Shagari are to the nation.

“Do you see these ones throwing their weight around, busybody over matters that don’t concern them? No, but it has to be Obasanjo because he wants to dominate everyone, and when you refuse, all hell is let loose.”

Kashamu in June 2015 withdrew the N20 billion libel suit he filed against Obasanjo.

However, in 2015, Kashamu again alleged Obasanjo was instigating foreign security agencies to apprehend him in Nigeria and extradite him to the United States of America, USA, to answer to drug-related charges.

The PDP chieftain and former lawmaker, who represented Ogun East Senatorial District died of COVID-19 complications at a Lagos hospital, as disclosed by Senator Ben Murray-Bruce in a tweet on Saturday.