Why US Hasn’t Arrested Tinubu Despite Drug Allegations, President’s Lawyer Explains
- Senior Advocate Wole Afolabi appeared on Channels TV to address the ongoing US court battle over DOJ, FBI and DEA records tied to Tinubu
- Afolabi argued that Tinubu's legal team is using rights available under US law to challenge unredacted document releases, not to hide anything
- The lawyer pointed to the $460,000 civil forfeiture in the 1990s and said a civil proceeding does not equal criminal guilt
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
United States- A member of President Bola Tinubu's legal team in the United States, Wole Afolabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has said that if credible evidence of drug dealing existed against the president, American authorities would have moved to indict, arrest, and prosecute him long ago.
Afolabi explained that US agencies had already released thousands of pages of documents to Greenspan.
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The lawyer, however, said the US agencies were seeking to keep certain portions redacted because full disclosure could expose law enforcement methods, sources and agents.
He made the argument on Channels Television's Sunday Politics programme while fielding questions about a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by Aaron Greenspan.
As reported by The Punch, Greenspan is seeking access to records held by the US Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration that relate to Tinubu and past investigations.
Why Tinubu's team is contesting the redactions
Afolabi said the decision by Tinubu's legal team to contest the redactions was rooted in rights provided under American law, not an effort to suppress damaging information.
"It would amount to professional malpractice on our part if we don't take advantage of what the law offers," he said.
He also pushed back against claims that the US government was shielding Tinubu, saying a recent DOJ filing focused strictly on protecting intelligence-gathering methods.
"No mention was made of any protection being offered to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu," he said, referencing a footnote on page 24 of that filing.
Tinubu would have been indicted
Afolabi drew on high-profile international cases to reinforce his position.
He cited the prosecution of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, the case against former British V!rgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie, US action against Venezuelan officials, and extradition proceedings involving Nigerians accused of drug offences, all as examples of how seriously American authorities treat narcotics cases.
"What's so special about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he would be coming into America and leaving America without being arrested, detained or interviewed for anything?" he asked.
On the $460,000 forfeited to US authorities during a civil proceeding in the 1990s, Afolabi maintained that civil forfeiture carries no criminal finding.
"If he was culpable, he simply would have been indicted. There's no shortcut around it. He would have been indicted," he said.
When asked directly whether Tinubu had ever been involved with drugs, the lawyer said his position was grounded in the available evidence: "What the evidence shows."
Afolabi declined to share further details about his client's version of events, citing attorney-client privilege.
"Unfortunately, I can't divulge any information that my client had disclosed to me confidentially," he said.
Source: Getty Images
Peter Obi reacts as Tinubu moves to block records
Recall that Peter Obi raised concerns about a sitting president asking a foreign court to withhold records tied to matters of public interest.
Obi said questions about educational credentials should not be resolved through legal proceedings and that Nigerians deserve clear, verifiable explanations.
He warned that the moral standards set by whoever occupies the presidency can influence generations of Nigerians.
Four reasons Tinubu opposes release of FBI, DEA records
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that President Tinubu asked a US court to block the release of his FBI and DEA records, arguing that privacy laws protect him from disclosure.
His lawyers say there is no public interest in the matter and accuse the requester of pursuing political motives. The case has reignited controversy over Tinubu’s past, with opposition parties insisting Nigerians deserve transparency.
Source: Legit.ng
