A Washington-based lobbying firm has disclosed that it has begun distributing more than 60 pages of United States Department of Justice (DOJ) documents to members of the Trump administration, Congress and senior congressional staff concerning historical allegations involving Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, which is working for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under a US lobbying contract, said the documents relate to historical DOJ allegations concerning Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a heroin trafficking investigation spanning the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In a statement posted on X, the firm said it began circulating the documents after discussions with officials within the Trump administration and lawmakers, adding that many within the US government were previously unaware of the allegations contained in the DOJ records.
It also said it intends to ensure that the complete collection of DOJ court filings, the supporting affidavit and related federal court decisions are brought to President Donald Trump’s attention as soon as possible. According to the firm, the move comes as Tinubu seeks a meeting with the US president during the United Nations General Assembly in September.
“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,” the firm said.
The documents relate to a 1993 civil forfeiture case in Chicago involving bank accounts that US authorities alleged contained proceeds of heroin trafficking.
The firm argued that drug trafficking had devastated communities across the United States, claiming thousands of lives and leaving countless families affected. It said the issue warranted renewed attention from US policymakers.
Von Batten-Montague-York tagged several senior US officials and institutions in its post, including President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, congressional foreign affairs committees and major international media organisations.
The firm has previously stated that part of its engagement for Atiku involves presenting issues concerning Nigeria to US policymakers.
The Presidency had not responded to the firm’s latest claims as of the time of filing this report.
(The Whistler)