There Was FBI Investigation, But Tinubu Not Involved — Omokri

Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has acknowledged that an FBI investigation involving individuals connected to President Bola Tinubu took place, but maintained that the President himself was not the target of the probe.

Omokri made the clarification while responding to renewed controversy surrounding historical United States law-enforcement records connected to Tinubu.

He said the investigation involved other individuals whose financial affairs were connected to Tinubu during his time as an accountant. According to Omokri, the existence of an investigation involving those individuals did not mean that Tinubu was personally investigated for criminal conduct.

The ambassador-designate stressed that there was a distinction between being mentioned in FBI records and being the subject of a criminal investigation.

He also maintained that the existence of FBI records containing a person’s name should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of criminality.

The controversy has intensified following an ongoing Freedom of Information Act dispute in the United States over the release of historical records held by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The records relate to investigations conducted in the early 1990s and have generated renewed political debate in Nigeria, particularly as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.

Earlier, the Presidency clarified that the current US court proceedings involving requests for the release of the records were a civil records-disclosure dispute and not a criminal trial against Tinubu. (Guardian Nigeria⁠)

Omokri has repeatedly defended Tinubu, arguing that FBI files can contain information collected for several reasons, including background checks, financial records and other non-criminal purposes.

He has also rejected claims that the President currently has a criminal case pending against him in the United States.

The renewed controversy has nevertheless attracted political reactions, with opposition figures and other stakeholders demanding greater transparency over the historical records.

Omokri, however, argued that the existence of records should be considered within their proper context and that Nigerians should distinguish between an investigation involving certain individuals and a criminal case against the President.

His latest comments are expected to further fuel debate over Tinubu’s historical US records, particularly as political parties and candidates begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election.