If you call him Esho
Jinadu or Kasham Buruji, you are still referring to the same mystery money man
who was born Musefau omoburujimi Oshodipe.
Kasham Buruji, now an elected
Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria means so many things to many people.
In his home town of Ijebu-Igbo and many parts of the rocky state of Ogun, he is
a cheerful giver who loves to see smiles on people’s faces; to social
crusaders, he is well loved that an appearance at an occasion could change the
colour of the event to a lively one; to musicians who love to sing his praise
to high heaven, he is a Father Christmas of no equal. And to the American Law,
he still needs to clear the cloud hovering over his involvement in the trade of
devil’s dust which the Americans are bent on unraveling through any means
possible
You are indeed welcomed to
the world of a man who decided to take up a name that was earned from his
father’s sobriquet ‘Catch am’ while
still working as a court bailiff. Then, we reliably gathered that his father
who was a court bailiff those days was in the habit of releasing accused
persons intentionally and he would later run after them with the phrase ‘Catch
Am’ permanently on his lips. This, we gathered was how ‘Catch Am’ became Kasham.
Give it to him; his story
is definitely ‘From grass to grace’. Someone who started as a ‘motorboy’ to a
timber lorry to become one of the wealthiest men to come out of Ogun State. His
story is truly a story of fortune, perseverance and determination of a man who
encountered wealth through various means in his quest for survival.
Esho Jinadu as he is
popularly called was very famous in the 80s and 90s; he was among the few
socialites who sprayed musicians in foreign currencies in the social circles.
His birth name is Musefau Oshodipe, a former car dealer who has an automobile
car shop called Jinsod Motors (coinage of Esho Jinadu) situated along Allen
Avenue, Ikeja in Lagos. He first had an encounter with the law when a certain
Salako was caught with the devil’s dust and later confessed that the popular
socialite was the stronghold of the illicit trade.
The allegation by Salako
sent the laws on the trail of the big spender that they mounted a manhunt both
at his house and his office at Allen Avenue.
Tales had it that after
waiting for three days at the Car Lot, out of nowhere, Esho Jinadu surfaced.
Many people especially his friends and workers were surprised and wanted to
know why he gave himself up the way he did. It was later learnt that he banked
on one of his neighbours on Allen Avenue, Aina Marshal advice whom he felt had
an influence on the law and can sway things his way. It was this friend that
told him to give himself up with a promise to help him out. But unfortunately
his supposedly good friend did nothing but tricked and betrayed him because
unknown to the Ogun politician, he had scores to settle with him.
As soon as he finally
showed up, he was apprehended and promptly taken into their custody at Ilupeju
area of Lagos.
Till date, it still remains
a mystery how he was able to break out from incarceration. However, words had
it that it was his mother who was popularly referred to as Alhaja that helped
him spiritually to escape from the laws. It was at this point that he relocated
to Cotonou in neighbouring Benin Republic. Though, he was able to escape at
that time, the terrified law officers made sure they arrested many people who
visited him before his escape including the late iron merchant, Tejumola. Anyone
is in doubt should confirm from NDLEA.
While in Cotonu, he also found himself in
trouble with the law again and there he was also sent to the higher school of
life. It was during his time in detention in the French speaking West African
country that he met and got a contact that turned his life totally around that
he became very rich. It was at this point he felt he needed a change of
identity, hence Esho Jinadu ‘died’ and Kasham Buruji resurrected.
How He Fought
His Former Best Friend Till Death
Those who know Esho Jinadu
then would readily attest to the fact that he was very close to another
socialite and town’s man, Prince Muyiwa Awolesi. Their friendship then was so
solid that many wished they were like them. But, the friendship could not stand
the test of time because Kasham believed that his dear friend betrayed him at a
time he was in trouble. According to a close source, when, the Laws came
hunting for Kasham, many of his cars were driven to Palm Groove/Onipanu area of
Ikorodu Road that used to be the residence of Muyiwa Awolesi. But, there was an
allegation that after Kasham relocated to Benin Republic, Muyiwa helped himself
with the cars and never remitted any of the money to Kasham. Aside that, it was
even alleged that Muyiwa ‘eat’ out of the nature’s pot of the friend’s wife who
was popularly called ‘Iya Sheri’ before Kasham could navigate his way back to
his country of birth.
How He Ran Out Of Ijebu-Igbo
Today, in Ijebu-Igbo in
Ogun State, there is a gigantic mosque built by Burji Kasham.
Nevertheless, the good
intent of the mosque gift by the benevolent businessman, account has it that
the mosque was built at the scene where Kasham mistakenly ran over someone when
he tried to move the lorry he was working with. The incident was what took him
out of Ijebu-Igbo, we were told.
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