Von Batten-Montague-York urges the Nigerian president to withdraw his legal challenge against the disclosure of the records, insisting that his anti-drug campaign must be backed by action.

A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to publicly support the release of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records relating to allegations of heroin trafficking reportedly linked to him.

The firm made the demand in a statement published on its verified X account on Thursday, questioning Tinubu’s commitment to fighting drug trafficking and urging him to support the disclosure of the records.

It accused the Nigerian president of attempting to present himself as an anti-drug campaigner, describing his recent advocacy as a “desperate stunt” unless he takes concrete steps to facilitate the release of the documents.

As part of its demands, the firm called on Tinubu to publicly urge the FBI to release all records concerning the allegations and withdraw his petition before a United States court opposing their disclosure.

“If President Tinubu is committed to fighting drug trafficking, we challenge him to publicly call for the FBI to release all records concerning alleged heroin trafficking reportedly connected to him,” the firm said.

“We also challenge him to withdraw his petition before the US court opposing their disclosure,” it added.

The firm disclosed that its principal, Dr Von Batten, met with congressional staffers from both the Republican and Democratic parties on Wednesday to discuss several issues, including the allegations involving Tinubu.

The statement did not provide further details about the discussions or indicate whether any specific action was agreed upon during the meetings.

The challenge places renewed attention on the controversy surrounding the disclosure of US records relating to allegations against Tinubu. However, the allegations cited by the firm should not be treated as established facts.

The firm’s statement centres on transparency, arguing that Tinubu should support the release of the records if he wishes to demonstrate his commitment to combating drug trafficking.

Neither the full contents of the FBI records nor the outcome of the firm's reported discussions with congressional staffers was provided in the statement.