Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s opposition to the public release of his records held by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, arguing that the existence of an FBI file does not necessarily mean a person has a criminal record.
Omokri made the comment in a statement on X on Monday while reacting to the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s efforts to prevent the release of unredacted records held by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
He maintained that Tinubu has no criminal record in the United States, Nigeria or elsewhere, stressing that the FBI keeps extensive non-criminal files on individuals.
According to Omokri, the records of foreign nationals may include information generated during visa applications and background checks conducted by the FBI on behalf of US government agencies.
He said such files could contain sensitive biometric, biographical and financial information, including fingerprints, DNA and bank records, and argued that their existence should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of criminal activity.
Omokri also claimed that US authorities had previously cleared Tinubu of criminal wrongdoing.
He referred to correspondence he said was exchanged in February 2003 between the US Embassy and Nigeria’s then Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, concerning whether the FBI had criminal records involving Tinubu, who was then Governor of Lagos State.
According to Omokri, the embassy responded the following day with what he described as an “all clear” regarding criminal records involving Tinubu.
His comments come amid an ongoing legal battle in the United States over access to Tinubu’s records.
Tinubu’s lawyers have asked a US court to reject a request seeking the release of unredacted records held by the FBI and DEA, arguing that the documents are protected under US privacy laws and that their release is not justified by any recognised public interest.
The case followed a Freedom of Information Act request by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan.
The FBI has cited several exemptions in resisting the release of portions of the records, including provisions relating to privacy, confidential sources and investigative techniques.
The controversy has also revived scrutiny of a 1993 US civil forfeiture case involving about 460,000 dollars linked to Tinubu. The All Progressives Congress has maintained that the case was a civil forfeiture proceeding and did not amount to a criminal conviction.
Opposition groups, however, have continued to demand the release of the records, arguing that Nigerians have a right to know about the President’s past.
Omokri urged the public to distinguish between an FBI file and a criminal record, maintaining that the existence of the former does not by itself establish criminal wrongdoing.
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