A United States-based policy and lobbying organisation, Von Batten-Montague-York, has raised the possibility that President Bola Tinubu could face criminal prosecution in the US after leaving office.
The organisation made the claim on Tuesday in a post on its verified X account while discussing recent court filings involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) concerning records linked to long-standing allegations of heroin trafficking.
However, the firm acknowledged that none of the documents it examined explicitly indicated that the US government had decided to prosecute Tinubu.
According to the organisation, its concerns were triggered by the refusal of both the FBI and DEA to confirm whether any investigation or enforcement proceeding related to the matter remains active.
The firm said the agencies had been separately asked to clarify the status of the matter, despite the allegations dating back more than three decades.
It claimed that both agencies declined to confirm or deny the existence of any investigation, maintaining that they were not required to comment on whether a law enforcement investigation or proceeding existed.
Von Batten-Montague-York stressed that the responses did not establish that Tinubu was facing imminent prosecution.
However, it argued that the agencies’ refusal to rule out an active investigation leaves unanswered questions about the status of the matter.
The organisation said its review of some court documents led it to believe that Tinubu could potentially face criminal charges after leaving office, when the immunity attached to his position as a sitting head of state would no longer apply in the same way.
It stated that some individuals linked to the underlying investigation had died and that filings by the FBI and DEA referenced wiretaps.
The firm described the agencies’ refusal to confirm that no investigation or enforcement proceeding exists as noteworthy, particularly given the age of the allegations.
It reiterated that the refusal should not be interpreted as proof that charges are being prepared against the Nigerian President.
The organisation also questioned why the FBI and DEA had not simply stated that there was no ongoing investigation or proceeding relating to the cases or involving Tinubu.
The development comes amid renewed attention to historical US law-enforcement records concerning Tinubu and allegations that have remained the subject of public debate for decades.
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