-
Accuses President of Making Deal with FBI to Evade Arrest
- Safiu Kehinde
The United States-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York L.C, has faulted the presidency’s statement vindicating President Bola Tinubu of involvement in any criminal case in the US.
NPO Reported that the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had yesterday issued a statement clarifying the revived alleged heroin trafficking probe against Tinubu.
Onanuga had reiterated that the president was never tried or convicted of any criminal offense in the US.
He explained that the case which dated back to Tinubu’s time as Lagos State Governor was a case of civil records-disclosure dispute and not a criminal case as widely speculated.
Reacting in a statement issued on its official X handle, on Friday, Van Batten-Montague-York L.C faulted Onanuga’s claims, stressing that the 2003 United States Mission letter which he relied on for the clarification was filled with spelling and grammatical errors.
The lobbyist, hired by the 2027 African Democratic Congress’ presidential candidate, noted that an arrest-and-warrant check is not the same as determining whether someone was investigated by the FBI.
‘In its official statement released yesterday, the Nigerian Presidency relies on a purported 2003 @USinNigeria letter that is filled with numerous spelling and grammatical errors, stating that an FBI/NCIC records check found no “criminal arrest records, wants, or warrants” for Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
‘Putting aside our serious questions about the letter’s authenticity, an arrest-and-warrant check is not the same as determining whether someone was investigated by the FBI.’ It said.
The further accused Tinubu of making deal with the FBI to evade arrest while selling out his other alleged co-heroin traffickers.
‘If President Tinubu, as alleged, was nabbed by the FBI and @DEAHQ, turned informant, ratted out his alleged co-heroin traffickers, and made a deal with the FBI to avoid arrest and protect his records, as we see today, there would be no arrest record for the NCIC to pull, and an NCIC check conducted by an embassy would show no arrest record.’ It said.
Von Batten-Montague-York L.C reiterated that the FBI had confirmed investigating Tinubu for drug tragffic,
‘To the world, here is the fact: The FBI has now stated under oath that there had been an official investigation of Nigerian President Tinubu and that the 399 Tinubu-responsive records given to the court for private viewing were compiled in furtherance of an FBI investigation for drug trafficking.
‘The purported embassy letter filled with shocking spelling and grammatical errors will not change this fact.’ It added.