Wole Afolabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a key member of President Bola Tinubu’s legal team in the United States of America has said that no concrete evidence linking the President to drug trafficking in the US.
“If there were any concrete evidence linking President Bola Tinubu to drug trafficking in the United States, American authorities would have indicted, arrested, and prosecuted him long ago.”Afolabi stated.
He stated this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, addressing the ongoing legal battle over the release of records held by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The records in question are currently the subject of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking access to historical documents and investigative files relating to Tinubu.
According to Afolabi, the US government has already released thousands of pages of records to Greenspan but is seeking to keep specific portions redacted.
He explained that these redactions are designed to prevent the disclosure of sensitive law enforcement methods, confidential sources, and the identities of undercover agents.
Afolabi strongly dismissed claims that Tinubu’s legal team is trying to conceal incriminating information.
Instead, he argued that their decision to challenge the unredacted release of these files is based entirely on privacy protections available under US law.
“The way the system works is this: it’s not what you want, it’s what the law stipulates,” Afolabi explained.
“So precisely what we are doing is going under the coverage of the law. It’s what the law gives us the right to do. It would amount to professional malpractice on our part if we don’t take advantage of what the law offers.”
He also rejected the narrative that the US government is actively trying to shield the Nigerian President.
Citing a recent DOJ court filing, Afolabi noted that the American government’s primary concern is protecting its information-gathering methodology, emphasizing that the filing made no mention of offering special protection to President Tinubu.
Addressing the core drug trafficking allegations, Afolabi pointed out that the US treats narcotics offenses with severe seriousness.
He referenced the high-profile prosecutions of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega and former British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie to demonstrate that foreign leaders are not immune to US drug laws.
“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?” Afolabi asked, insisting that the absence of a criminal indictment speaks volumes.
When questioned about the $460,000 linked to Tinubu that was forfeited to US authorities in a 1993 civil proceeding, Afolabi maintained that a civil forfeiture does not equate to criminal culpability.
“If he was culpable, he simply would have been indicted. There’s no shortcut around it,” he stated. However, he declined to share Tinubu’s personal account of the 1990s forfeiture, citing strict attorney-client privilege.
Afolabi also defended the legal team’s reliance on privacy protections, arguing that holding public office does not strip an individual of their legal rights.
He drew a parallel to former US President Donald Trump, who successfully utilized the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to prevent the release of his academic records during his political campaigns.
Furthermore, Afolabi noted that being the subject of an FBI or DEA investigation does not automatically imply guilt.
He referenced former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s extensive investigations into prominent figures, including civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., to illustrate that anyone can be investigated under the presumption of innocence.
Looking ahead, Afolabi dismissed suggestions that the ongoing FOIA litigation in the US District Court for the District of Columbia could jeopardize Tinubu’s political future ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“At the end of the day, the election will not be decided on what document exists where,” Afolabi concluded.
“It’s going to be decided by promises made, promises kept.”
