President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not expected to be arrested if he travels to New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has said.
The firm made the clarification in a statement posted on its verified X account on Saturday, amid renewed controversy over allegations linking Tinubu to a decades-old narcotics investigation in the United States.
According to the organisation, there is no plan by US authorities to arrest the Nigerian president during the UNGA. It, however, claimed that Tinubu could face public embarrassment if he attends the high-level gathering in New York.
“There is no plan to arrest Nigerian President Bola Tinubu over his alleged involvement in heroin smuggling if he attends the United Nations General Assembly this month. Any claim to the contrary is untrue. What is true is that President Tinubu will be embarrassed in New York,” the firm stated.
The organisation further alleged that US law enforcement records contain claims concerning Tinubu’s alleged association with a criminal organisation involved in heroin trafficking during the 1980s and 1990s.
However, the allegations have not resulted in a criminal conviction against Tinubu.
The controversy is linked to a 1990s narcotics investigation in Chicago involving individuals associated with the Nigerian president. US authorities also previously pursued a civil forfeiture case involving approximately $460,000 connected to Tinubu.
The case did not result in criminal charges or a conviction against him.
Von Batten-Montague-York also dismissed reports of a possible private meeting between Tinubu and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UNGA.
The lobbying firm claimed that Tinubu had been seeking a meeting with Trump but maintained that such a private engagement would not take place. It further alleged that members of the Trump administration were aware of the allegations surrounding Tinubu.
The organisation said it would continue to draw the attention of the White House and Congress to the allegations, describing Tinubu as an alleged heroin trafficker and a liability to the United States.
The claims have renewed attention to US government records relating to the old investigation. Von Batten-Montague-York has been involved in efforts to obtain documents held by American law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Nigerian Presidency, however, has rejected the interpretation being placed on the records, maintaining that the current dispute concerns access to government documents and should not be presented as evidence that Tinubu is facing criminal prosecution in the United States.
The firm had earlier warned that Tinubu could face an organised publicity campaign during his visit to New York, including efforts to publicise the allegations around the UN headquarters.
Von Batten-Montague-York has also opposed any proposed meeting between Tinubu and Trump. The organisation previously reacted to comments attributed to Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, regarding the possibility of discussions between the two leaders during the UNGA.
The lobbying firm has been identified in reports as working for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and has said it engages US officials on issues concerning Nigeria, including democratic governance, insecurity and the 2027 elections.
The controversy intensified on September 1 when the organisation claimed Tinubu could potentially face criminal charges after leaving office if an investigation connected to the old allegations remains active.
The firm, however, acknowledged that documents it had reviewed did not state that the US government had decided to prosecute the Nigerian president.
It said its position was partly based on responses from the FBI and DEA regarding the existence of possible investigations or enforcement proceedings, with the agencies reportedly declining to confirm or deny whether such proceedings exist.
