A Washington-based lobbying firm retained by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has explained why it submitted documents relating to a decades-old United States civil forfeiture case involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to officials in the Donald Trump administration, members of Congress and congressional staff.
The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., said it shared records from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) because many officials within the US government were unaware of the historical allegations involving Tinubu.
The lobbying firm, which was engaged by Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, under a 12-month contract reportedly worth $1.2 million, is tasked with advocacy, diplomatic engagement and presenting Atiku’s positions on issues relating to Nigeria-United States relations.
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In a statement posted on X, the firm said it held discussions with officials in the Trump administration, Congress and senior congressional staff before distributing more than 60 pages of DOJ records and related court documents.
Explaining the reason for the move, the firm said many officials had no prior knowledge of the historical case.
“Many within the U.S. government were previously unaware of the DOJ’s allegations concerning Bola Tinubu. We are changing that,” the firm stated.
It added that the issue was significant because of the devastating impact of drug trafficking on American communities.
“Drug trafficking has devastated communities across America, claiming thousands of lives and leaving countless families forever changed,” it said.
The firm also said its objective was to ensure that President Donald Trump had access to the complete records relating to the case.
“Today, we are making public only the attached chronology summarising the DOJ’s allegations. We fully intend to ensure that the complete collection of DOJ court filings, the supporting affidavit, and the related federal court decisions are brought to President Trump’s attention as soon as possible,” it added.
According to the firm, the documents include a chronology of the DOJ’s 1993 civil forfeiture case and subsequent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation relating to the release of records connected to the investigation.
The chronology states that the 1993 civil forfeiture action stemmed from a DOJ investigation into a suspected drug trafficking organisation operating between Nigeria and the United States.
It references a case filed before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, United States v. Funds in Account No. 263226700 et al., involving funds the government alleged were proceeds of narcotics trafficking or connected to money laundering activities.
The records identify Tinubu, Adegboyega Mueez Akande and Abiodun Agbele as individuals named in the government’s allegations.
According to the chronology, the DOJ alleged that proceeds from a drug trafficking network operating between 1988 and 1991 were deposited into bank accounts in the United States associated with Tinubu.
The documents state that the civil forfeiture matter was resolved through a settlement in 1993, with a portion of the funds forfeited to the US government.
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