NGO rejects campaign to pressure U.S. to release Tinubu’s FBI records, wants court to decide

By Ochiaka Ugwu

Anti-Kidnapping, Human Trafficking, Child Abuse and Drug Abuse (AKH-TRACADA), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has urged against politicization of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu FBI’s records by advising those mounting pressure on United States government to release the report to allow American court decide the case.

In a press statement released in Abuja Wednesday, signed by Founder and National Coordinator of AKH-TRACADA, Primate Belonwu Ezeanyaeche, it strongly opposed the growing political campaign to pressure the United States authorities into releasing confidential FBI and DEA records relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to the statement, “The ongoing litigation in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia is a legal matter, not a political contest. The records being sought concern investigations dating back to the early 1990s, and their disclosure is presently before the appropriate judicial process.

“Recent filings indicate that the FBI has invoked provisions of U.S. law governing the protection of investigative information, confidential sources, investigative techniques and personal privacy.

“We therefore reject attempts by political actors, pressure groups or partisan interests to turn an unresolved Freedom of Information Act dispute into a weapon for political mobilisation in Nigeria.

“There is an important distinction between the existence or reference to an investigation and proof of criminal wrongdoing. Current court reporting does not establish that President Tinubu committed a drug-trafficking offence. Assertions to the contrary should not be presented as established facts merely because they are associated with an FBI record or historical investigation” the statement read in part.

“If any party believes that the records should be disclosed, the proper avenue is the United States judicial process. The court should determine, in accordance with U.S. law, what can lawfully be released, what must remain protected, and whether any redactions or exemptions claimed by the agencies are justified.

“We particularly caution against attempts to use selective leaks, unverified interpretations or politically motivated campaigns to prejudge the contents of documents that have not been publicly released in full.

“Nigeria deserves political debate based on facts, evidence and due process—not speculation, sensationalism or trial by social media.

“We call on all political parties, civil society organisations, commentators and media organisations to respect the integrity of the ongoing proceedings and refrain from pressuring the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice or the American courts to reach a predetermined outcome.

“No individual should be above the law. Equally, no individual should be condemned by allegations that have not been established through due process. Let the court decide” the statement concluded.