How Tinubu spent Millions of Dollars to halt release of drug trafficking records — US Firm

A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu spent millions of dollars in an effort to prevent the release of records relating to historical investigations involving him.

The firm made the allegation in a post on X on Tuesday, amid an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) legal battle over records held by US law-enforcement agencies.

According to the firm, Tinubu’s legal team had taken steps to challenge the release of documents and had engaged with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over the matter.

The firm claimed that this contradicted assertions that the Nigerian president was not seeking to prevent the records from being made public.

“Despite claiming innocence, Tinubu has spent millions of dollars to ensure that his drug trafficking records are never released,” the firm alleged.

It further argued that although the underlying proceedings were civil in nature, the involvement of US law-enforcement agencies indicated that the dispute concerned sensitive investigative records.

“The description of the underlying matter is merely a civil case. The involvement of US law-enforcement agencies in the records dispute demonstrated that the matter involved sensitive investigative material,” it added.

The allegations come amid renewed attention to a legal dispute concerning records held by the US Department of Justice, FBI and DEA relating to historical investigations involving Tinubu.

The firm’s claims, however, are allegations and do not by themselves establish that Tinubu committed any drug-related offence or that he personally spent the alleged amount.

The ongoing FOIA proceedings concern whether certain government records should be released, with legal arguments focusing on the nature and sensitivity of the requested documents and applicable US disclosure laws.

The latest development is expected to further fuel political debate in Nigeria, particularly as Tinubu prepares to seek re-election in the 2027 presidential election.

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