Justice Valentine Ashi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, yesterday, adjourned further hearing on the N20billion libel suit that was instituted against former President Olusegun Obasanjo by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-West, Mr. Buruji Kashamu till November 17.

The court adjourned the matter after it listened to oral testimonies of two associates of the plaintiff, Kashamu, who told the court yesterday that they terminated their relationship with him after they learnt from the erstwhile president, Obasanjo, that the plaintiff was a wanted criminal.

The duo of Alhaji Haruna Rasheed and Mr. Omotayo, Alade-Fawole, who appeared as witnesses before the court yesterday, told the court that they decided to distance themselves from the plaintiff after they saw a media publication by ex-president Obasanjo, which they said indicated that Kashamu had criminal records.

Remarkably, the two witnesses were brought to court to testify on behalf of the plaintiff in the N20billion libel suit he instituted against the former President.

Kashamu, who is presently the Chairman of Mobilisation and Organisation Committee of the PDP in South-West, had in his suit, claimed that Obasanjo, ‘murdered’ his reputation via a letter he (Obasanjo), sent to both President Goodluck Jonathan and the immediate past National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

Kashamu told the court that the defendant, maliciously and recklessly published a letter titled, “Before it is too late,” which he said contained distorted facts.

He argued that the criminal imputation made against him by Obasanjo in his letter, greatly injured his public image.

He prayed the court to award in his favour, and against the ex-President, N20 billion for the damage suffered as a result of the allegation.
The plaintiff told the court that the former president specifically referred to him in the said letter as a fugitive wanted in the United States.

Meanwhile, the former President who had earlier resolved not to personally testify in the matter, had in his statement of defence, described Kashamu as a notorious debtor and a man lacking in local and international reputation.

He urged the court to dismiss the suit for being “frivolous, speculative and gold digging”, insisting that no reasonable cause of action was established against him.

Obasanjo insisted that he had no reason to retract the words in the said letter as requested by Kashamu.

“The statement/words are correct, true and justified”, he maintained, adding, “The plaintiff has no iota of good reputation locally and internationally.

“?Aside the plaintiff’s illicit drug business for which he was indicted and wanted in America, the plaintiff has penchant for taking loans from unsuspecting banks/financial institutions with intention to permanently elude/avoid repayment or liquidation of such loans.

“Further to that, the plaintiff has been judicially adjudged/confirmed a debtor by a competent court of law in Cotonou, Republic of Benin. And the plaintiff presently occupies a choice position on the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria’s list of notorious bad debtor”, Obasanjo ?added.

Meanwhile, in their separate testimonies yesterday, the two witnesses that were brought to court by the plaintiff, turned against him, saying they read about the criminal allegation as contained in a letter written by Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan and published in both the print and electronic media of December 12, 2013.
The witnesses went ahead and adopted ?their statements on oath yesterday as their evidence in the matter.

Led in evidence by the plaintiff’s counsel, Dr. Alex Iziyon, SAN, the witnesses, while adopting their statements on oath and also during cross-examination by Obasanjo’s lawyer, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole,still denied knowledge of existence of any drug-related charges against Kahsamu in the US.

It will recalled that Obasanjo recently insisted that we would not afford to join a party “led by a drug pusher”.

The ex-president who made the assertion while stipulating conditions for his possible return to the PDP, indirectly took a swipe at Kashamu, who had already dragged him to court over the same allegation.

Meanwhile, ?whereas the first witness, Rasheed, stated in his statement that he halted the over 10 years friendship and business relationship with Kasahamu after the letter was published and same was not retracted by Obasanjo, Alade-Fawole, said he had ceased to be Kasahmu’s protocol officer, for the same reason.

Alade-Fawole, added that he used to carry out “corporate legal services for” Kashamu, whom he said he got to know about four years ago through a friend, who was his (Kashamu’s) nephew.

Part of his statement on oath before the court read: “That due to the nature of my closeness to the plaintiff as his protocol, he became an inspiration to me and a role model.

“That since I read the aforesaid publication I have avoided serving him in all capacity to avoid being seen with him.

“That my refusal to serve him after the said publication is due to the fact that I have not seen or read any retraction by the defendant.”

On his part, Rasheed, said before the publication, he was the one carrying out “bulk printing services for the plaintiff’s several companies over the years”.

He told the court that, “My refusal to associate with him after the said publication is due to the fact that I have not seen or read any retraction by the defendant.
“That the plaintiff portrayed as criminal has tarnished my perception of him.”

Oyewole during cross examination, asked the witnesses if they were aware that Kashamu was arrested for drug-related crimes in 1998, detained for five years, and still being wanted for the crime in the United States.

“Are you al so aware that the plaintiff has attempted to quash his indictment for the crimes in the US to no avail?” The lawyer asked the witnesses,they both responded negative to the questions.

Nevertheless, the court, yesterday, adjourned for the plaintiff to call his last witness, even as it gave ex-president Obasanjo the nod to produce his only witness.