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Legal counsel to President Bola Tinubu has defended the Nigerian leader’s decision to challenge the release of some United States government documents linked to long-standing allegations of drug trafficking.
Tinubu’s lawyer, Chris Carmichael, told BBC News Pidgin that the president’s legal action was intended to protect his rights under the U.S. legal system and should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing.
Carmichael said Tinubu acted on the advice of his legal team when he sought to prevent the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from releasing records connected to the allegations.
“Like every other person participating in the American legal system, President Tinubu has the right to exercise his rights or waive them,” Carmichael said.
He added that choosing not to exercise those rights could mean losing them permanently.
The legal dispute has renewed public interest in records relating to past investigations and proceedings involving Tinubu. Supporters of the president have argued that efforts to release the documents are politically motivated, while critics maintain that the records should be made public in the interest of transparency.
Carmichael stressed that the matter remains before the court and that the final decision rests with the judge handling the case.
“We are optimistic that the court will treat the president fairly and that this matter will be concluded within a reasonable period,” he said.
FOIA lawsuit
The development follows a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by U.S. transparency activist Aaron Greenspan against several American government agencies.
Greenspan is seeking access to documents relating to investigations involving Tinubu, including the FBI’s file on him and FBI Form 302 interview records covering the period between 1992 and 1993.
The case also concerns records connected to a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding in the United States involving about $460,000 linked to Tinubu.
Tinubu’s legal team has argued that releasing the records could violate his privacy rights. According to court documents cited in the report, the lawyers argued that the available records from the forfeiture proceeding did not establish the details or outcome of any criminal investigation involving the president.
The legal team also maintained that previous disclosure of information from the forfeiture proceedings did not eliminate Tinubu’s privacy interest in investigative files being sought by the plaintiff.
Claims about FBI records
U.S.-based policy advisory and lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York has separately claimed that Tinubu is seeking to prevent the release of records concerning alleged drug trafficking.
The firm said on X that the president had asked the court to stop U.S. agencies from releasing the records, citing privacy concerns.
It later claimed that the FBI and DEA had filed new documents concerning alleged heroin-trafficking records linked to Tinubu.
According to the firm, an FBI search reportedly identified 399 pages of documents related to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. It claimed the records included materials concerning laboratory testing for heroin residue, controlled drug purchases, confidential informants, grand-jury proceedings, surveillance, undercover operations, financial seizures and international investigative cooperation.
These claims remain part of an ongoing legal dispute, and the court has yet to make a final determination on the release of the records.
President Tinubu has repeatedly denied involvement in drug trafficking and has maintained that he has never been convicted by a U.S. court of a criminal offence.
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