Before the dossier that was released yesterday by one Anwar Saddat, little was known about Buruji Kashamu the Nigerian Kingpin currently on the US wanted list of drug traffickers.
The dossier claimed that Buruji Kashamu is friends with President Kenyatta and they occasionally conduct “business” together where he uses the president’s plane to distribute drugs across the globe. This came in the wake of the government’s directive in fighting drug abuse in the country.
But back to Kashamu, who exactly is this man?
Well first of all, he’s a Senator(why I’m I not even surprised) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from Ogun State. He represents Ogun East in the current 8th National Assembly. Senator Kashamu is the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on States and Local Government.
Secondly, his filthy rich being the Chairman/Chief Executive of Kasmal Group of Companies, an indigenous conglomerate with interests in hospitality, property, oil and gas, automobile and investment services. He is also the Chairman of the Group Kasmal SAL in Republic of Benin. They mostly deal with cotton harvesting where he manages 76% of that business.
With all this money in his hands, he also likes the finer things in life being the proud owner of over 10 high end cars including a Rolls Royce which he purchased recently, Bentley’s and other German High End SUV’s. He’s also very much into high end hookers with the dossier released recently stating he once hired one for Uhuru, Thandi Ojeer.
His history with drug trafficking started way back in 1994, defendant Kary Hayes, a passenger arriving at O’Hare International Airport (“O’Hare”) on a flight from Zurich, Switzerland, was arrested after he tried to smuggle into the United States a suitcase containing approximately 14.16 pounds of heroin. Hayes was one of a long line of couriers in a heroin smuggling operation led by Kashamu. Kashamu arranged: (a) the pickup of the heroin by the couriers in Europe and Indonesia; (b) the transfer of the heroin to others once the heroin entered the United States; (c) the payment of the couriers and the people who supervised them; and (d) the carrying by couriers of large sums of cash during the couriers’ outbound trips from the United States for delivery to him in Europe and elsewhere. The government charged Hayes and other couriers after this initial arrest. Many of these couriers cooperated and provided information about their contacts with Kashamu.
The man is not all that rogue having floated the Omoilu Foundation in 2009, a non-profit organization he set up to empower the needy and give hope to the hopeless. Little wonder when a friend asked him why he gives without hesitation, he says “the only thing I do not want to do is to disappoint my God. Let me also confess that the more I empower people, the more God empowers me.”
