Tinubu’s FBI records: Omokri challenges claims, cites 2003 Embassy reply

Reno Omokri has dismissed reports claiming that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released criminal records concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a US federal judge, describing the reports as misleading and based on a misinterpretation of government records.

Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, made the clarification in a post on Monday amid renewed controversy over alleged documents held by US authorities concerning the Nigerian president.

He faulted reports suggesting that the FBI had submitted “criminal records” on Tinubu to Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

According to him, the mere existence of FBI records containing an individual’s name does not necessarily indicate that the person has a criminal history.

Omokri explained that US federal agencies maintain extensive databases containing information on individuals for various administrative, immigration and security purposes, many of which have no connection with criminal investigations.

He cited visa and immigration screening as examples, noting that foreign nationals seeking entry into the United States may have their biographical, biometric and other personal information processed through government databases as part of routine background checks.

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Such records, he argued, should not automatically be described as evidence of criminal conduct.

Omokri also referred to what he described as an earlier confirmation that the FBI had no criminal records concerning Tinubu.

He traced the issue to February 2003, when Tinubu, then governor of Lagos State, was reportedly involved in political tensions with the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

According to Omokri, then-Inspector-General of Police Tafa Balogun wrote to the US Embassy requesting information on whether the FBI had any criminal records concerning Tinubu.

He claimed that the US Embassy responded the following day, stating that there were no such criminal records involving the then-Lagos governor.

Omokri said the correspondence could be independently verified through the US Embassy in Nigeria.

He further disclosed that he travelled to Chicago in September 2022 to conduct his own inquiries into questions surrounding Tinubu’s academic and other records ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

He maintained that the findings from his investigation reinforced his position that Tinubu had no criminal record in the United States, Nigeria or elsewhere.

The ambassador-designate urged Nigerians and commentators to exercise caution when interpreting documents released or referenced by US government agencies.

He stressed that the existence of a government record, particularly one generated for administrative or background-screening purposes, should not be equated with proof of criminal conduct.

Omokri also challenged critics and media organisations to verify the nature and contents of any FBI documents before presenting them publicly as evidence of a criminal history.

He said proper scrutiny of the documents and the context in which they were created was necessary to prevent misinformation and misleading conclusions about the president