A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has renewed its allegations concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s past dealings in the United States, urging the public to remain focused on disputed FBI and DEA records.
In a statement posted on its verified X account on Tuesday, the firm accused the Nigerian Presidency of attempting to divert attention from what it described as serious allegations linked to an old US investigation involving Tinubu.
The organisation alleged that renewed public criticism against its founder, Dr Karl Von Batten, was part of an effort to shift attention away from the ongoing legal dispute over access to records held by US government agencies.
The firm specifically referenced records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), insisting that the public should focus on the court proceedings concerning their release.
Von Batten-Montague-York also accused critics of preparing personal attacks against its founder, including claims about his identity and family background, which it described as false and irrelevant to the legal dispute.
The organisation further claimed that an FBI court filing referred to sensitive wiretap material contained in records responsive to requests concerning Tinubu. It alleged that the FBI had asked the court to restrict disclosure of the material.
The firm went further by interpreting the filing as potentially linking Tinubu to a heroin-trafficking investigation. However, that interpretation has not been established as a finding by the FBI or a US court.
The controversy is partly connected to a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding in Chicago involving approximately $460,000 linked to accounts associated with Tinubu. The money was forfeited to the US government, but the proceeding did not result in a criminal conviction against Tinubu for heroin trafficking.
The current legal dispute before the US court concerns access to government records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), including records held by the FBI and DEA.
Tinubu has asserted privacy rights over portions of the records, while US agencies have opposed the release of some material under applicable legal exemptions.
The Presidency has repeatedly maintained that the withholding or release of government records under FOIA does not, by itself, establish criminal liability.
Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, previously dismissed the lobbying firm’s statements as political propaganda, stressing that Von Batten’s comments do not represent the position of the US government.
Meanwhile, the lobbying firm has continued its campaign, saying it has engaged members of the US Congress and congressional staff over the disputed records.
The organisation also recently claimed it was preparing to submit a video transcript as additional evidence in the court proceedings. It said the transcript allegedly contains comments by Adewale Tinubu, whom it described as the president’s reported nephew, regarding the old Chicago case.
The firm argued that the material could have implications for Tinubu’s privacy claim, although the significance of the alleged statement remains a matter for the court to determine.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, recently dismissed the firm’s latest threats of further legal action as a “storm in a teacup; journey to nowhere.”
Despite the escalating exchanges, the allegations against Tinubu remain allegations, and there has been no criminal conviction of the Nigerian president for heroin trafficking in the United States.
The ongoing US court proceedings are principally focused on whether certain government records should be released under FOIA and whether privacy and other legal exemptions apply.
