Tinubu’s Records: Lawyer Explains Why FBI, DEA Won’t Release Documents

A member of President Bola Tinubu’s legal team in the United States, Wole Afolabi (SAN), has explained why some records held by US law enforcement agencies concerning the Nigerian president have not been made public.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Afolabi said the lawyers’ position was guided by United States law and should not be interpreted as an attempt to conceal information about Tinubu.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria made the clarification while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, amid renewed attention surrounding efforts to obtain records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) relating to Tinubu.

Afolabi explained that the US government had already released some documents but maintained that certain portions could not be disclosed because they fall under exemptions contained in the Freedom of Information Act.

He said the agencies had argued that releasing the withheld information could expose confidential sources, compromise investigative techniques and potentially put law enforcement personnel and informants at risk.

According to the lawyer, Tinubu’s legal representatives would not be acting professionally if they failed to rely on legal protections available under US law.

Afolabi also rejected allegations that the decision to withhold portions of the records was specifically designed to protect the Nigerian president. He maintained that the concerns raised by the US agencies were primarily related to protecting agents, informants, sources and investigative procedures.

The lawyer further dismissed claims that the available records establish Tinubu’s involvement in drug trafficking. He argued that if US authorities had sufficient evidence linking the President to such an offence, he would have faced criminal charges.

Afolabi stressed that being the subject of an investigation does not automatically mean that an individual committed a crime, noting that law enforcement agencies can investigate people without ultimately prosecuting them.

The lawyer, however, declined to discuss the circumstances surrounding the $460,000 forfeiture associated with Tinubu in the United States during the 1990s.

He explained that attorney-client privilege prevented him from disclosing confidential information allegedly shared with him by the President in the course of their legal relationship.

Afolabi maintained that his inability to discuss the matter publicly should not be interpreted as confirmation of any wrongdoing, stressing that he was bound by professional and legal obligations concerning privileged communications.