Lobbyist Submits Tinubu's Forfeiture Case Records to US

Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C, a Washington-based lobbying firm, was hired by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in March under a 12-month, $1.2 million contract. The firm is tasked with enhancing Abubakar's reputation in the US and countering narratives from the Nigerian government.

It has started providing records from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding allegations of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's involvement in a heroin trafficking investigation from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The firm stated that many in the US government were previously unaware of these allegations and aims to bring over 60 pages of DOJ documents to the attention of the Trump administration and Congress.

The documents detail a heroin trafficking organization that allegedly involved Tinubu, Adegboyega Mueez Akande, and Abiodun Agbele, with claims that proceeds from the trafficking were deposited into bank accounts controlled by Tinubu.