Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s opposition to the public release of records held by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), arguing that the existence of such files does not necessarily mean the President has a criminal record.

Omokri made the clarification in a statement shared on X on Monday while commenting on the ongoing controversy over 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 maintains different categories of records, many of which have nothing to do with criminal activity.

“President Bola Tinubu has no criminal record in the United States, Nigeria, or anywhere else, and the FBI has not provided any criminal record on the President to anyone because none exists. Yes, FBI records may contain his name, but they are NOT criminal records.”

Omokri explained that FBI records can be generated when individuals, including foreign nationals, undergo background checks for US visas or other immigration-related processes.

“This is because the FBI conducts MANDATORY background screenings on behalf of the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security on US visa applicants,” he said.

He added that the presence of a person’s name in FBI databases does not automatically indicate criminal involvement.

“Thus, as a US citizen or resident, or even as a foreign national, if your name is run through the FBI databases, it is likely to bring up hundreds of pages of records. This does not mean that the records are criminal. In most cases, they will be benign.”

Omokri Raises Privacy Concerns

The former presidential aide also argued that releasing FBI records could expose sensitive personal information that individuals would normally expect to remain private.

“Such records may include personal biometric, biographical, and financial information, such as fingerprints, DNA, bank statements, and other private records,” he said.

He questioned whether Nigerians would support the public disclosure of their own private information if they were in a similar situation.

“Would you, as an individual, want your private records released to your political opponents, even if they were non-criminal?”

Omokri Cites 2003 US Embassy Correspondence

Omokri further claimed that US authorities had previously cleared Tinubu of criminal wrongdoing.

He referred to correspondence he said was exchanged between the US Embassy and Nigeria’s then Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, in February 2003.

According to Omokri, Balogun had contacted the US Embassy to ask whether the FBI had any criminal records involving Tinubu, who was then serving as Governor of Lagos State.

Omokri said the embassy responded the following day with what he described as an “all clear” regarding criminal records involving Tinubu.

He said, “This was consistent with my findings when I visited Chicago in 2022, as a member of the opposition, to establish the truth about then-Presidential candidate Bola Tinubu’s academic and other records.”

Omokri added, “Nigerians may want to find attached the response from the Embassy of the United States absolving the then-Governor of Lagos of any wrongdoing or criminal conduct, charges, or activity whatsoever.”

He also urged anyone who questioned the authenticity of the document to contact the US Embassy for clarification.

“Those who may question the authenticity of this document may also wish to contact the US Embassy in Abuja or Lagos for clarification,” he said.

Tinubu Challenges Release of FBI and DEA Records

The comments come as a legal dispute continues in the United States over access to records concerning Tinubu.

According to reports, Tinubu asked the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to dismiss a request seeking the release of his unredacted records held by the FBI and DEA.

His lawyers argued that the US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act protect the records from disclosure. They also maintained that there was no legally recognised public interest that would justify their release.

The legal team further argued that the request was politically motivated and focused on Tinubu because of his position as Nigeria’s President.

The case followed a FOIA request filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who sought records relating to Tinubu.

The FBI has relied on several FOIA exemptions in opposing the disclosure of parts of the records. These exemptions include provisions concerning personal privacy, confidential sources, investigative methods and the safety of individuals.

Controversy Over Tinubu’s US Past

Questions about Tinubu’s records in the United States have been part of Nigeria’s political debate since the 1990s and became particularly prominent 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. US authorities had alleged that the money represented proceeds of narcotics trafficking or was connected to prohibited financial transactions.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) maintained during the presidential election litigation that the case was a civil forfeiture proceeding rather than a criminal conviction.

In September 2023, the Presidential Election Petition Court ruled 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 has therefore maintained that the current FOIA dispute should not be interpreted as evidence that Tinubu has a criminal record.

“President Bola Tinubu has no criminal record in the United States, Nigeria, or anywhere else.”

He also urged Nigerians to distinguish between an FBI file and a criminal record.

“Please fact-check me: The US FBI regularly keeps billions of non-criminal files on American citizens and residents, as well as foreign nationals, through the FBI’s Central Records Systems and Next Generation Identification database,” he said.

Omokri reiterated his argument that being a political figure does not automatically remove an individual’s right to privacy.

“Would you, as an individual, want your private records released to your political opponents, even if they were non-criminal?” he repeated.

Opposition Demands Transparency

Despite Omokri’s defence, opposition groups have continued to call for the release of the records, arguing that Nigerians have a legitimate interest in information concerning the President’s past.

African Democratic Congress spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi argued that Tinubu should support the release if there was nothing incriminating in the records.

“Why is the President opposing the release of his past records? That is suspicious. The President should allow them (records) to be released to clear himself,” he said.

Similarly, Nigeria Democratic Congress National Publicity Secretary Osa Director called for greater transparency, saying Nigerians deserved to know the truth and urging Tinubu to allow the records to be made public.

The ongoing US case is focused on access to government records under the Freedom of Information Act. The existence of the case itself does not amount to a criminal prosecution and does not establish that Tinubu committed a drug-trafficking offence.