There was FBI investigation but Tinubu not involved — Omokri

Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has admitted that an FBI investigation involving people connected to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took place, but maintained that the President was not the target of the probe.

Omokri, who spoek on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Sunday, said the controversy surrounding the US records had been driven by what he described as a misleading interpretation of Tinubu’s connection to funds that were subject to scrutiny by American authorities.

According to him, Tinubu was working as an accountant at the time and had held money belonging to clients who were themselves under investigation.

“There was an investigation. Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not the subject of that investigation,” Omokri said.

He explained that the funds in question were eventually forfeited after they were identified as suspicious, stressing that the action was against the accounts and not Tinubu personally.

“The President was an accountant, and then the President had client funds. Those persons had been indicted by the FBI, and as a result of that, it said that certain funds… are suspicious funds,” he said.

“And then when it was brought to the attention of the President, the President agreed for a forfeiture. Now, it was to the accounts, not the President.”

Omokri also cited a 2003 FBI document which he said contained the outcome of checks conducted on Tinubu, claiming that the record showed no criminal arrest record or outstanding warrant against him.

He, however, acknowledged that the existence of an FBI investigation could not be disputed, maintaining that Tinubu was not the person being investigated.

“There was an investigation. Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not the subject of that investigation,” he reiterated.

The ambassador-designate declined to disclose the identities of those investigated, saying he was unwilling to expose their families to unnecessary consequences.

The development comes amid renewed debate over US records connected to a 1990s investigation and ongoing legal proceedings seeking access to documents held by American law-enforcement agencies.

The dispute includes 399 pages of records identified in the Freedom of Information Act proceedings, with some documents reportedly redacted or withheld.

Omokri declined to comment on the contents of the documents, citing the pending court case.

He also argued against releasing potentially sensitive information contained in the records, saying such material could include biometric, familial and financial details.

According to him, the release of such information could provide political opponents with material that might be misused against the President.

“You don’t want those records in the hands of your enemies,” he said.

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