US policy advisory firm says the Nigerian president’s legal actions contradict his public position as a court considers the release of records held by the DOJ, FBI and DEA.

A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu has spent millions of dollars in legal efforts aimed at preventing the release of records linked to an alleged drug-trafficking investigation.

The firm made the allegation in a post on its verified X account late Tuesday, amid an ongoing legal dispute in the United States over the release of records held by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

According to the firm, Tinubu’s public position that he is not seeking to prevent the release of the records is inconsistent with actions taken by his legal team in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) proceedings.

“Despite claiming innocence, Tinubu has spent millions of dollars to ensure that his drug trafficking records are never released,” the firm alleged.

It further argued that the involvement of US law-enforcement agencies in the records dispute suggested that the underlying material involved sensitive investigative information.

“The description of the underlying matter is merely a civil case. The involvement of US law-enforcement agencies in the records dispute demonstrated that the matter involved sensitive investigative material,” the firm stated.

The claims have emerged against the backdrop of a long-running dispute over requests for the disclosure of records relating to historical investigations involving Tinubu.

The records are understood to be in the possession of US federal agencies, including the DOJ, FBI and DEA, and their possible release has become the subject of litigation under the FOIA.

In the latest development, US District Judge Beryl Howell granted Donald Trump-appointed attorney Jeanine Pirro additional time in connection with the release of the records.

Tinubu had also joined a request by the US Department of Justice for a 10-day extension to respond to a motion seeking disclosure of the materials.

The legal dispute has attracted renewed attention because of the competing interpretations surrounding Tinubu’s involvement in the case. While his position has been that he is not seeking to suppress or permanently prevent the release of records, the lobbying firm has characterised the legal steps taken on his behalf as evidence of an effort to keep the materials confidential.

However, the allegations made by Von Batten-Montague-York remain claims by the firm and do not, by themselves, establish that Tinubu committed drug trafficking offences or that he personally spent a specific amount of money to suppress the records.

The precise contents of the records at the centre of the FOIA dispute, and what they may ultimately establish, will depend on the court proceedings and any documents that are eventually made public.

The controversy has nevertheless added to scrutiny surrounding Tinubu’s historical dealings in the United States and the legal battles over records relating to him.

The Nigerian presidency and Tinubu’s legal representatives were not quoted as responding to the latest allegation by the firm in the material available for this report.