Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has defended President Bola Tinubu against criticism surrounding his opposition to the public release of records held by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Omokri argued that the presence of Tinubu’s name in FBI files does not mean the President has a criminal record, stressing that the agency maintains extensive non-criminal records on individuals.
His comments come amid an ongoing legal battle in Washington, D.C., over whether the records should be released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
In a statement posted on X, Omokri insisted that Tinubu has no criminal record in the United States, Nigeria, or anywhere else. “Yes, FBI records may contain his name, but they are NOT criminal records,” he said.
Omokri explained that the FBI routinely conducts mandatory background screenings on behalf of the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security for visa applicants and foreign nationals.
As a result, the agency’s databases often contain hundreds of pages of benign information, including biometric and financial details.
He questioned whether Nigerians would want their private records released to political opponents, even if those records were non-criminal. “Would you, as an individual, want your private records released to your political opponents, even if they were non-criminal?” he asked.
Historical Context And Embassy Correspondence
Omokri pointed to past correspondence between Nigeria’s then Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, and the US Embassy in February 2003.
According to him, Balogun had written to the embassy seeking clarification on whether Tinubu had any criminal record. Omokri said the embassy responded the following day, giving what he described as an “all clear” regarding criminal wrongdoing.
He added that his own investigation in Chicago in 2022, when Tinubu was a presidential candidate, confirmed that the former Lagos governor had no criminal record in the US.
“Nigerians may want to find attached the response from the Embassy of the United States absolving the then-Governor of Lagos of any wrongdoing or criminal conduct,” he said, challenging skeptics to verify the document with the US Embassy in Abuja or Lagos.
The controversy intensified after American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan filed a FOIA request seeking access to Tinubu’s records.
Tinubu’s lawyers asked the US District Court for the District of Columbia to reject the request, arguing that the records are protected under the US Privacy Act and FOIA exemptions. They contended that releasing the information would violate Tinubu’s privacy and that the request was politically motivated.
The FBI has invoked several FOIA exemptions to resist disclosure, citing privacy concerns, protection of confidential sources, investigative techniques, and individual safety.
The case has reignited debate in Nigeria, where opposition groups argue that transparency demands the release of the records.
Past Allegations And Court Decisions
The controversy over Tinubu’s US records dates back to the 1990s. In 1993, a US District Court in Illinois ordered the forfeiture of $460,000 from an account linked to Tinubu after authorities alleged the funds were tied to narcotics trafficking or prohibited transactions.
Tinubu’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has consistently maintained that the case was a civil forfeiture, not a criminal conviction.
During the 2023 presidential election litigation, the Presidential Election Petition Court ruled that petitioners failed to prove Tinubu was arrested, arraigned, convicted, or sentenced in the US. Omokri echoed this position, insisting that the current controversy should not be used to portray Tinubu as having a criminal record.
Despite Omokri’s defence, opposition parties continue to press for the release of the records. Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said Tinubu should support disclosure if he had nothing to hide.
“Why is the President opposing the release of his past records? That is suspicious,” Abdullahi said. Similarly, Osa Director of the Nigeria Democratic Congress argued that Nigerians deserve to know the truth about their leader’s past.
While Omokri insists that FBI files are not synonymous with criminal records, opposition voices argue that transparency is essential for public trust.
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