Atiku’s Lobbyist Submits Tinubu’s US Forfeiture Case Records to Trump, Congress

A Washington-based lobbying firm hired by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has disclosed that it has begun submitting United States Department of Justice (DOJ) records relating to President Bola Tinubu’s 1993 civil forfeiture case to officials in the Donald Trump administration, members of Congress and senior congressional staff.

The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., was retained by Atiku Abubakar in March under a 12-month lobbying agreement reportedly valued at $1.2 million.

According to the firm, its assignment includes strengthening Atiku’s reputation in the United States, facilitating engagements with US policymakers and countering what it described as the Nigerian government’s lobbying efforts.

In a statement posted on its X account, the firm said many officials within the US government were previously unaware of the DOJ’s historical allegations and court filings concerning Tinubu.

It added that it was distributing more than 60 pages of DOJ documents, including court filings, affidavits and related federal court decisions, to relevant officials for informational purposes.

The lobbying firm also released a document detailing the background of the 1993 civil forfeiture proceedings involving Tinubu and the subsequent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation initiated by journalist Aaron Greenspan in 2023.

According to the chronology, the US government alleged that proceeds linked to a heroin trafficking organisation operating between Nigeria and Chicago were deposited into bank accounts controlled by Tinubu between 1988 and 1991.

The document further referenced Adegboyega Mueez Akande and Abiodun Agbele as individuals mentioned in the original DOJ filings connected to the investigation.

It stated that the DOJ instituted civil forfeiture proceedings in 1993, resulting in a negotiated settlement under which part of the funds was forfeited to the United States.

The document also highlighted a 2025 ruling by a US District Court directing federal agencies, including the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, to process certain FOIA requests instead of issuing blanket refusals.

The lobbying firm said the documents are being circulated ahead of reports that President Tinubu is seeking a meeting with President Donald Trump during the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly.

Tinubu’s forfeiture case was also raised during the 2023 presidential election litigation. However, the Presidential Election Petition Court ruled that the forfeiture proceedings were civil, not criminal, and held that the petitioners failed to establish that Tinubu had been convicted of any criminal offence in the United States.