By BLESSING FALI
Former presidential aide and ambassador designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s opposition to the public release of records held by United States law enforcement agencies, arguing that the existence of an FBI file does not automatically mean an individual has a criminal record.
Omokri made the clarification amid an ongoing legal dispute in the United States over requests for access to records relating to Tinubu held by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to him, Tinubu does not want the records released because they may contain sensitive personal information that has nothing to do with criminal activity.
He argued that government agencies maintain extensive files on individuals for several reasons, including visa applications, immigration procedures and mandatory background checks. Such records, he said, can contain biometric, biographical and financial information without indicating that the person concerned committed an offence.
Omokri maintained that the presence of Tinubu’s name in FBI databases should therefore not be interpreted as proof of a criminal record.
He further argued that the President, like any other individual, should retain a right to privacy, particularly where the information being sought has not been established as evidence of criminal conduct.
The controversy follows legal efforts to obtain unredacted records relating to Tinubu. The documents being sought include FBI records and interview materials connected to investigations dating back to the early 1990s. The case also touches on a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding in the United States involving about $460,000 associated with Tinubu. Tinubu has denied wrongdoing.
Omokri also referred to correspondence he said was exchanged in 2003 between the United States Embassy and Nigeria’s then Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, concerning whether American authorities held criminal records relating to Tinubu, who was then Lagos State governor.
He claimed that the response from the embassy amounted to an all clear concerning criminal records and urged anyone questioning the authenticity of the correspondence to seek verification from the US Embassy.
The former presidential aide also said he personally investigated aspects of Tinubu’s background during a visit to Chicago in 2022, when Tinubu was preparing for the 2023 presidential election.
Omokri’s intervention comes as pressure continues to mount from political opponents and transparency advocates for the records to be made public. They argue that information concerning the past of a sitting Nigerian president is a matter of legitimate public interest.
The US legal proceedings, however, centre on access to government records under American privacy and freedom of information laws. The FBI has cited legal exemptions in withholding portions of the requested documents, including protections relating to privacy, confidential sources, investigative methods and the safety of individuals.
Omokri urged Nigerians to distinguish between an investigative or administrative file and a criminal conviction, insisting that the existence of records maintained by the FBI does not by itself establish criminal wrongdoing.
He said the debate should focus on the actual contents and legal status of the documents rather than automatically portraying the existence of an FBI file as evidence that Tinubu has a criminal history.
The controversy is expected to remain politically significant as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, with Tinubu already facing renewed scrutiny over his political and personal history.
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