Buruji Kashamu

Buruji Kashamu (Listen^ⓘ; 19 May 1958 – 8 August 2020) was a Nigerian politician who served as a Senator representing Ogun East in the 8th National Assembly. Ogun East covers eleven local government areas: Ijebu North East, Ijebu North, Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu East, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Remo North, Sagamu, and Ogun Waterside. Senator Kashamu was the vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on States and Local Government.^[1]

Buruji Kashamu
Senator Kashamu
Senator for Ogun East
In office 9 June 2015 – April 2019 Serving with Lanre Tejuosho Joseph Dada
Preceded by	Sefiu Adegbenga Kaka
Succeeded by	Ramoni Olalekan Mustapha
Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on State and local Governments
In office 9 June 2015 – April 2019
Succeeded by	Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi
Personal details
Born	Buruji Kashamu 19 May 1958 Ijebu-Igbo, Western Region, British Nigeria
Died	8 August 2020(2020-08-08) (aged 62) Lagos, Nigeria
Political party	People's Democratic Party
Residence(s)	Abuja (official) Ogun (private)
Alma mater	Igbobi College University of Lagos Pitman College
Profession	Businessman politician
Awards	NANS Golden Man of the Year 2015 Cambridge University (Honorary PhD. Philosophy)

He was a chieftain of the People's Democratic Party, PDP in Ogun State. He was appointed as the chairman, Organization and Mobilization Committee of the PDP in the South West zone of Nigeria.^[2] In 2018, he was expelled from the People's Democratic Party,^[3][4][5] a decision later voided by an Abuja High Court in October 2018. He was the 2019 Ogun State gubernatorial election candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. He died from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria on 8 August 2020.

Early life and education

Kashamu was born in Ijebu-Igbo Ogun State, Nigeria on 19 May 1958. Kashamu started his education at Ansarudeen Primary School, Ijebu Igbo and left in 1972 to complete his primary school education at St. John Modern School, Lagos. He then attended evening classes at Igbobi College while working as a licensing agent. He later went to London where he took courses in Business Management at Pitman College, London.^[1][6] He was awarded an honorary PhD by the unaccredited, diploma-mill Cambridge Graduate University, located in Massachusetts, at a privately organised ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria.^[7]

Cambridge Graduate University claims to be accredited by the International Accreditation Organization (IAO). The IAO itself is listed as part of unrecognized higher education accreditation organizations. Cambridge Graduate University is not a recognised university in the United States due to this lack of accreditation.^[7][8]

Politics

He contested the Ogun east senatorial seat and beat his closest rival with a poll of 99,540 votes against Prince Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who polled 84,001 votes to clinch the senatorial seat.^[9][10][11] He was the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 Ogun State gubernatorial election and lost against Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress coming in a distant 4th.^[12]

Controversy

In 1998, Kashamu was arrested in the United Kingdom on drugs-related charges after trying to enter the country with $230,000 in cash.^[13] He was acquitted and released in 2003. British authorities refused a US extradition request on drugs charges, citing concerns about his identity^[14] after co-conspirator Nicholas Fillmore failed to identify Kashamu in a photo lineup;^[15] however Nigerian authorities announced their intention to deport him to the US on multiple occasions.^[16] Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president, warned that his ongoing freedom illustrated that "drug barons ... will buy candidates, parties and eventually buy power or be in power themselves".^[14]

It is claimed that Kashamu is the real identity of "Alhaji", the drug kingpin in Piper Kerman's book, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison.^[14][17][18] and Cleary Wolters's book Out of Orange.^[19] Kashamu appears in vivid detail in Nicholas Fillmore's memoir, Smuggler.^[20]

Death

Kashamu died from complications of COVID-19 in Lagos on 8 August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. He was 62 years old.^[21][22]

References

1. "Buruju Kashamu". NASS. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
2. Adeyinka, Abimbola. "Abimbola Adeyinka: So I investigated that Buruji Kashamu's honourary PhD and here's what I found out". The Scoop. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
3. Fabiyi, Olusola. "PDP expels Buruji Kashamu, three others". The Punch. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
4. Ayitogo, Nasir (23 July 2018). "Breaking: PDP expels Buruji Kashamu, three others". Premium Times. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
5. Olowolagba, Fikayo (23 July 2018). "PDP expels Buruji Kashamu, three others". Daily Post. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
6. "Nigerian Biography/Buruji Kashamu". Nigerian Biography. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
7. "Abimbola Adeyinka: So I investigated that Buruji Kashamu's honourary PhD and here's what I found out". The Scoop. 18 October 2014. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
8. "List of Accreditation Agencies Used By Fake Colleges | GetEducated". www.geteducated.com. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
9. "Buruji Kashamu wins Senatorial seat in ogun State". Starconnect. Archived from the original on 19 January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
10. Oluwasoga, Bamidele. "Kashamu wins Senatorial seat in Ogun state". Legit.ng. Archived from the original on 19 January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
11. Obiajuru, Nomso (8 December 2015). "Appeal Court Upholds Kashamu's Election as Senator". Legit.ng. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
12. Kayode-Adedeji, Dimeji (11 March 2019). "Dapo Abiodun Wins Ogun Governorship Election". Premium Times. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
13. "Man indicted in US for drug deal is elected senator in Nigeria". New York Post. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
14. "Man who inspired Orange is the New Black elected senator in Nigeria". The Guardian. Associated Press. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
15. "Case of the Day: US v. Kashamu". Folkman LLC. 1 November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
16. "You can be arrested, appeal court tells Kashamu". TheCable. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
17. Janssen, Kim. "Nigerian who inspired 'Orange Is The New Black': 'I haven't seen' show". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
18. "Meet the Nigerian senator who may have been an inspiration for 'Orange is the New Black'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
19. "Cleary Wolters, the Real Alex Vause, Shares Her Story for the First Time". 7 May 2015.
20. Johnson, Scott (5 July 2016). "The Strange Saga of the Drug-Smuggling Ring That Gave Rise to 'Orange Is the New Black'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
21. "Buruji Kashamu don die - See wetin we know so far about im death". BBC News Pidgin. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
22. Abdulsalam, Kehinde (8 August 2020). "Buruji Kashamu dies of COVID-19". Daily Trust. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.