FBI Files On Tinubu Do Not Prove Criminal Record — Omokri

By Chidinma Onwuchekwa

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has challenged reports describing records held by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “criminal records”, arguing that the existence of FBI files does not automatically establish a criminal record or conviction.

He made the claim in a post on X on Monday amid renewed controversy over records relating to Tinubu that are currently the subject of a legal battle in the United States.

Reports suggesting that the FBI had released Tinubu’s “criminal records” to US District Judge Beryl Howell were misleading, he argued, saying the records being discussed should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of criminal conduct.

According to Omokri, FBI databases contain extensive information on individuals that may have nothing to do with criminal activity, including information generated through background checks and other government processes.

He cited visa screening as an example, saying the FBI processes information on foreign nationals and others during background checks conducted for US government agencies.

Omokri argued that such records could contain biographical, biometric and financial information and that the mere appearance of a person’s name in an FBI database should not be taken as proof of a criminal history.

“President Bola Tinubu has no criminal record in the United States, Nigeria, or anywhere else, and the FBI has not provided any criminal record on the President to anyone because none exists,” Omokri said.

He also referred to correspondence between the US Embassy in Nigeria and the office of Nigeria’s then Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, in February 2003.

According to Omokri, Balogun wrote to the US Embassy on February 3, 2003, requesting information on whether the FBI had criminal records concerning Tinubu, who was then governor of Lagos State.

The embassy responded the following day after a records check, reporting that there were no criminal arrest records, wants or warrants for Tinubu.

A copy of the correspondence has previously been cited publicly in arguments concerning Tinubu’s record in the United States. The letter, dated February 4, 2003, stated that a check of the FBI’s National Crime Information Center was negative for criminal arrest records, wants or warrants for Tinubu.

For Omokri, the 2003 correspondence supports his argument that the existence of FBI records concerning Tinubu should not be equated with a criminal record.

He also referred to his visit to Chicago in September 2022, saying he travelled there to investigate questions surrounding Tinubu’s academic and other records while Tinubu was a presidential candidate.

He said his findings at the time were consistent with his current position that Tinubu did not have a criminal record in the United States.

The comments come as a US federal court continues to consider whether records held by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration concerning Tinubu can be released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The case was brought by Aaron Greenspan, who sought records concerning Tinubu and another individual from US government agencies.

In April 2025, US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the FBI and DEA could no longer use a “Glomar” response to refuse to confirm or deny the existence of certain records concerning Tinubu.

A Glomar response allows a government agency to refuse to confirm or deny whether responsive records exist where doing so could reveal information protected under the Freedom of Information Act.

Howell found that previous public disclosures by the US Department of Justice had already officially acknowledged that Tinubu was a subject of a criminal investigation involving the FBI and DEA.

The court said the disclosures arose from an investigation involving money laundering and proceeds linked to a heroin distribution organisation in the Chicago area.

It also noted that an affidavit incorporated into a Justice Department forfeiture complaint contained allegations concerning funds in accounts controlled by Tinubu and transactions investigators said represented proceeds of drug trafficking.

The ruling, however, did not amount to a criminal conviction against Tinubu.

The latest dispute concerns access to the underlying investigative records and whether the US government can continue withholding portions of them under exemptions provided by the Freedom of Information Act.

The FBI recently submitted records to Judge Howell for private judicial review rather than releasing them publicly.

Omokri maintained that the FBI records should not be interpreted as proof of a criminal record, citing the 2003 US Embassy records check.

He urged Nigerians and others reporting on the matter to distinguish between the existence of government records and evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

The US court has yet to make the underlying records submitted for private review publicly available.