A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu spent millions of dollars to stop the release of records linked to his alleged drug trafficking case.
The firm made the claim in a post on its verified X handle late Tuesday. It said Tinubu’s position conflicts with actions taken by his legal team. The actions relate to an ongoing Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, case.
Firm Questions US Agencies’ Involvement
The latest allegation comes amid a legal dispute over records held by the US Department of Justice, DOJ, FBI and DEA. According to the firm, Tinubu petitioned the court over the matter. It also claimed that he consulted with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, and Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA.
The organisation said these actions formed part of efforts to keep the records from becoming public. Meanwhile, the firm argued that Tinubu’s reported actions do not support his claim that he is not trying to block the records.
“Despite claiming innocence, Tinubu has spent millions of dollars to ensure that his drug trafficking records are never released,” the firm said.
Court Battle Over Tinubu Records
Meanwhile, United States District Judge Beryl Howell had granted Donald Trump-appointed attorney Jeanine Pirro more time to respond to the request. The request concerns the release of the alleged drug-trafficking records. It will also be recalled that Tinubu joined a request by the US Department of Justice for a 10-day extension.
The extension would allow the department to respond to a motion seeking the release of the records. As a result, the request marks another development in the legal battle. The case has continued to draw attention in Nigeria and the United States.
For now, Von Batten-Montague-York maintains its allegation that Tinubu took steps to prevent the records from being released. However, the legal dispute over access to the documents remains ongoing.
Read also: FBI Asks US Court To Keep Some Tinubu Records Secret
