RENO OMOKRI QUESTIONS TINUBU’S MOVE TO BLOCK RELEASE OF FBI RECORDS
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to oppose the public release of records concerning him held by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), insisting that FBI files do not automatically constitute criminal records.
Omokri argued that the mere appearance of Tinubu’s name in FBI documents does not mean the President has a criminal record, noting that the agency maintains extensive files on individuals for various non-criminal purposes.
He made the remarks in a statement on X on Monday while reacting to the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s legal efforts to prevent the release of unredacted records held by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
According to Omokri, the FBI routinely maintains records on individuals who have undergone background checks, including foreign nationals who applied for US visas.
He explained that such files could contain personal information such as biometric, biographical and financial data, which he said should not automatically be made public.
Omokri stated that the existence of such records should be distinguished from having a criminal history.
He also cited correspondence he said was exchanged between the US Embassy and former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, in February 2003, concerning whether the FBI had any criminal records relating to Tinubu, who was then Governor of Lagos State.
According to Omokri, the US Embassy responded that there were no criminal records against the then governor. He said he also conducted his own inquiries into Tinubu’s records during a visit to Chicago in 2022.
The former presidential aide challenged those questioning the authenticity of the document to seek clarification from the US Embassy.
Omokri’s comments come amid an ongoing legal dispute in the United States over a request for access to Tinubu’s unredacted FBI and DEA records.
Tinubu’s lawyers have asked a US court to reject the request, arguing that the records are protected under provisions of the US Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act. They also contended that the request was politically motivated.
The case followed a Freedom of Information Act request by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking access to records relating to the Nigerian President.
The FBI has cited several exemptions in withholding portions of the records, including provisions relating to personal privacy, confidential sources, investigative techniques and the safety of individuals.
The controversy over Tinubu’s records dates back to the 1990s and resurfaced prominently during the 2023 presidential election.
In 1993, a US District Court in Illinois ordered the forfeiture of $460,000 held in an account linked to Tinubu following allegations by US authorities that the funds were connected to narcotics trafficking or prohibited financial transactions.
The All Progressives Congress had maintained that the matter was a civil forfeiture proceeding and did not amount to a criminal conviction.
The Presidential Election Petition Court, in September 2023, also held that the petitioners had failed to establish that Tinubu had been arrested, arraigned, convicted or sentenced in a criminal case in the United States.
Omokri maintained that the current controversy should not be interpreted as evidence that Tinubu has a criminal record.
He urged Nigerians to distinguish between FBI files and criminal records, arguing that government agencies can hold extensive non-criminal information on individuals.
Meanwhile, opposition groups have continued to demand the release of the records, insisting that Nigerians deserve access to information about the President’s past.
The ongoing US case concerns access to government records under the FOIA and does not, by itself, amount to a criminal prosecution or establish that Tinubu committed a drug-trafficking offence.
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