Tinubu won’t be arrested in US, but may face embarrassment at UNGA — US Lobbying Firm

The US-based political consulting and lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York has rejected allegations against President Bola Tinubu about his possible arrest should he visit New York for the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

However, Von Batten-Montague-York said that the Nigerian President may be embarrassed during the international event.

These comments were made by Von Batten-Montague-York in a statement posted on its official X handle due to speculations around President Tinubu’s attendance at the UNGA.

“There is no plan to arrest Nigerian President Bola Tinubu over his alleged involvement in heroin smuggling if he attends the UN General Assembly this month. Any claim to the contrary is untrue,” the firm stated.

“What is true is that President Tinubu will be embarrassed in New York,” it added.

The firm also repeated its claim that efforts to arrange a private meeting between Tinubu and United States President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UNGA would not succeed.

It alleged that neither a meeting at the White House nor a bilateral engagement on the sidelines of the UNGA was being planned, citing allegations concerning Tinubu’s past in the United States.

Von Batten-Montague-York further repeated allegations linking Tinubu to heroin trafficking decades ago.

“The FBI claims that Tinubu was part of a criminal organisation that smuggled heroin from Nigeria into the United States during the 1980s and 1990s,” the firm claimed.

The allegations form part of an ongoing controversy surrounding historical US records relating to Tinubu, including a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding in which $460,000 was forfeited to the US government.

The firm has continued to campaign around the allegations and said it would engage officials in Washington over the matter.

“We will continue to ensure that the White House and Congress fully understand that Nigerian President Tinubu is an alleged heroin trafficker and a liability to President Trump and the United States,” it stated.

The claims by the lobbying firm remain allegations and should not be treated as proof that Tinubu committed a criminal offence. Recent reporting has also highlighted an ongoing US legal dispute over access to historical records relating to the matter.