Trump Now Aware of Tinubu’s Alleged US Drug Case Files – Atiku’s Camp
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s media aide, Paul Ibe, has claimed that United States President Donald Trump has been made aware of court documents relating to President Bola Tinubu’s alleged past legal records in the United States.
Ibe made the claim in a post shared on his X account on Wednesday.
According to him, documents linked to a decades-old civil forfeiture case involving Tinubu were allegedly brought to the attention of the US president through a Washington-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York.
The Atiku aide alleged that the documents included more than 60 pages of records from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), covering issues connected to allegations of heroin trafficking investigations and the forfeiture of $460,000.
“Finally, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s @officialABAT 60-page DOJ files on heroine trafficking and forfeiture of $460,000 has been brought to the attention of @realDonaldTrump courtesy of a US lobbyist firm, @batten_von.
“Manuel Noriega on my mind. Nigerians deserve to know the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The best is being saved for last,” he wrote.
However, Ibe did not provide any documentary evidence to support his claim that Trump had personally been briefed on the matter.
He also did not indicate whether any action had been taken by the US administration regarding the documents.
POLITICS NIGERIA earlier reported that a United States-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York L.C., disclosed that it had begun circulating documents linked to the case among officials within the Trump administration and members of the US Congress.
The Washington lobbying company said the exercise forms part of its broader engagement with senior American policymakers on issues concerning Nigeria.
According to the firm, the documents being distributed include more than 60 pages of DOJ records, court filings, affidavits and judicial decisions connected to the civil forfeiture proceedings that took place in the United States several years ago.
The lobbying firm stated that the materials were being shared with executive branch officials, lawmakers and senior congressional staff members to draw attention to allegations contained in historical US court records relating to Tinubu.
In a statement posted on X, the company claimed that some policymakers in Washington had not previously been familiar with the case and its legal history.
It said: “Following discussions with members of the @realDonaldTrump Administration, Congress, and senior congressional staff, we began providing more than 60 pages of @TheJusticeDept documents concerning the DOJ’s allegations of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a heroin trafficking investigation spanning the late 1980s and early 1990s.”
The firm further stated that its objective was to ensure that court records and legal decisions connected to the matter were available to officials involved in shaping US foreign policy and legislative oversight.
Reports indicate that Von Batten-Montague-York was engaged in March 2026 under a one-year lobbying agreement linked to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The contract reportedly covers strategic advisory services, engagement with the executive and legislative arms of the US government, and efforts aimed at challenging narratives promoted by the Nigerian government.
Recall that Tinubu’s US civil forfeiture records became one of the most talked about issues after the 2023 presidential election.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi had argued before the Presidential Election Petition Court that the forfeiture proceedings should have disqualified Tinubu from contesting the election.
They maintained that the circumstances surrounding the forfeiture raised constitutional questions about his eligibility for office.
The tribunal, however, rejected the argument and ruled that the petitioners failed to establish that Tinubu had been convicted of any criminal offence in the United States.
According to the court, the proceedings relied upon by the petitioners were civil in nature and did not amount to a criminal conviction.
The tribunal also held that there was insufficient evidence to prove that Tinubu submitted false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by failing to disclose the forfeiture proceedings.
Despite the court rulings, the issue has remained a recurring subject of political debate, with opposition figures continuing to raise questions about the records while supporters of the president insist that the matter has already been settled by the courts.
