…By Jack Sylva for TDPel Media.
Release of Nigeria’s President Tinubu’s Criminal and Immigration Records Delayed by US Authorities
Unusual Circumstances Delay Public Release
The United States (US) Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have disclosed the timeline for the release of Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s criminal and immigration records to the public.
In a court document viewed by journalists, the FBI and US State Department cited “unusual circumstances” as the reason for the delay in making the records public.
Lawsuit Filed Over Release of Records
A civil lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., regarding the matter.
The lawsuit, presided over by Judge Beryl Howell, addresses the issue of the delayed release of Tinubu’s records.
Demand for Tinubu’s Criminal Record
An American public disclosure activist, Aaron Greenspan, had previously submitted a request to various US federal and local agencies, including the FBI, State Department, Department of Treasury, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The request urged for the urgent release of Tinubu’s immigration and criminal records.
This demand was prompted by Tinubu’s claims in court that he had not committed any crimes during his time in the United States.
Controversies Surrounding Tinubu’s Identity
President Tinubu’s real identity has been subject to several controversies.
His educational records have raised questions due to omissions and contradictions that have yet to be clarified publicly.
For instance, Tinubu claimed under oath in 1999, while seeking to be the Governor of Lagos State, that he attended the prestigious University of Chicago.
However, the university has disowned this claim.
Another American school, Chicago State University, confirmed that a person named Bola Tinubu attended in the 1970s but did not specify if it was the Nigerian president.
Additionally, documents from the school revealed that a person named Bola Tinubu attending during that time was female.
Evolving Educational Records and Previous Allegations
Tinubu’s educational records have undergone changes over time.
In his 1999 oath to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he stated that he attended primary and secondary schools in Lagos and Ibadan in the 1950s and 1960s.
However, in his latest INEC application form for the 2023 general elections, these assertions were removed without explanation.
There is no evidence of the primary school he claimed to have attended.
Furthermore, Tinubu was implicated in U.S. court documents in 1993 as being involved in money laundering from drug trafficking, leading to the forfeiture of $460,000 at the time.
U.S. Agencies’ Response and Public Interest
The State Department is believed to possess records that can confirm whether the individual who applied for a U.S. visa and traveled as Bola Tinubu in the 1970s is the same person currently serving as Nigeria’s president.
On the other hand, the FBI is expected to shed light on Tinubu’s involvement in drugs and any other criminal charges he might have faced, which are not in public records.
The U.S. authorities, in response to the public disclosure activist’s request, stated that they would not be able to release the requested information within the 20-day timeframe due to unusual circumstances.
The FBI previously informed the activist in August 2022 that “unusual circumstances” applied to the processing of the request.
In March 2023, the FBI mentioned that it would attempt to release all documents related to Tinubu, but not before January 2026 at the earliest.
Other agencies, including the Department of Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, cited similar grounds for not releasing the documents.
The FBI argued that the activist failed to demonstrate that the requested information was in the public interest and would contribute significantly to the understanding of government operations and activities.
However, the activist countered this by highlighting how Tinubu’s drug forfeiture case in Chicago attracted significant attention to their website, which houses over 15 million records.
Court Proceedings and Request for Delay
All the involved agencies have been summoned to appear in court to explain why records pertaining to a Nigerian president were considered unusual and inconsequential for public release.
Assistant U.S. attorney Jared Littman, representing the agencies, has requested a delay until August 28, 2023, to respond to the lawsuit filed on June 12, 2023.
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