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A Washington-based lobbying firm has renewed its campaign urging President Donald Trump and US law enforcement agencies to release court-ordered records relating to historical investigations involving President Bola Tinubu before any possible meeting at the UN General Assembly.
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The latest move comes days after the same firm publicly opposed any bilateral engagement between Trump and Tinubu, arguing that such a meeting could be viewed as an endorsement of the Nigerian leader.
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The renewed campaign cites a Daily Caller report alleging that the FBI and DEA have yet to produce documents ordered by a US federal court despite an April 2025 ruling directing the agencies to process responsive records.
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President Tinubu has consistently denied allegations linking him to drug trafficking and was never criminally charged or convicted in connection with the 1993 US civil forfeiture proceedings referenced in the dispute.
August 5, (THEWILL) — A United States-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York L.C., has intensified its campaign against any prospective engagement between President Bola Tinubu and United States President Donald Trump ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, urging American authorities to release court-ordered records relating to historical investigations involving the Nigerian leader.
The latest intervention comes days after the Washington-based firm publicly urged the Trump administration to avoid any bilateral meeting with Tinubu during the UN General Assembly, arguing that such an encounter could be interpreted as official endorsement of the Nigerian President despite longstanding controversies surrounding historical US court records.
At the time, the firm said it had forwarded videos of comments made by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, to senior officials in the Trump administration, members of Congress and officials of the US State Department after Ibrahim disclosed that Tinubu would attend the UN General Assembly and be seated close to President Trump during the General Debate. Ibrahim, however, did not confirm that any bilateral meeting had been scheduled.
Fresh Appeal to Trump Administration
In its latest statement posted on X, the lobbying firm renewed its appeal to President Trump, the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), urging them to comply with what it described as a federal court order directing the release of records concerning allegations that Tinubu was linked to a heroin trafficking organisation that operated between Nigeria and Chicago during the 1980s and 1990s.
The firm also called on House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to investigate what it described as possible obstruction within the Department of Justice.
“President Donald Trump has been warning the American people about the deep state. The time has come for the DOJ, FBI and DEA to comply with the US Federal Court’s order and release all records concerning allegations that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu was part of a drug trafficking organisation that smuggled heroin from Nigeria to Chicago during the 1980s and 1990s”, the organisation stated.
Daily Caller Report Cited
The lobbying firm’s renewed campaign relied heavily on a report published by the Daily Caller, which claimed that records relating to historical investigations involving Tinubu remain unreleased more than a year after a US federal judge ordered the FBI and DEA to search for and process responsive documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
According to the report, US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled in April 2025 that the agencies should process records requested by American transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan after earlier FOIA requests had been denied.
The report quoted Greenspan as saying that despite four years of litigation, he had “still not received a single produced page” from either agency containing the word “Tinubu”.
Greenspan further alleged in court filings that repeated delays had frustrated the purpose of the Freedom of Information Act by prolonging litigation while protecting the political interests of a foreign leader.
Historical Proceedings
The records being sought relate to a 1993 civil forfeiture case in the United States involving funds linked to bank accounts associated with Tinubu.
The Daily Caller noted that court documents included an affidavit by Internal Revenue Service Special Agent Kevin Moss, who stated there was probable cause to believe certain funds were traceable to narcotics proceeds.
However, the report also acknowledged that Tinubu was never criminally charged in connection with the investigation and that the civil forfeiture proceedings did not result in any criminal conviction.
Following Tinubu’s election in 2023, Greenspan and Nigerian investigative journalist David Hundeyin filed fresh FOIA requests seeking additional records relating to the investigation and any prosecutorial decisions. After several agencies declined the requests, the pair initiated legal proceedings.
Judge Howell subsequently ordered the FBI and DEA to search for and process responsive, non-exempt records, although the agencies have since sought multiple extensions while lawyers representing Tinubu have challenged the release of certain materials on privacy grounds.
Diplomatic Implications
The controversy has resurfaced as President Tinubu prepares to attend the United Nations General Assembly, where speculation has continued over whether he could hold talks with President Trump on the sidelines of the summit.
Supporters of the lobbying campaign argue that any high-level engagement should await full disclosure of the court-ordered records, while critics maintain that the long-running civil proceedings have repeatedly been politicised.
President Tinubu has consistently rejected allegations linking him to drug trafficking, insisting that he has never been convicted of any criminal offence in the United States.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the White House nor the Nigerian Presidency has confirmed any bilateral meeting between Presidents Trump and Tinubu during the September UN General Assembly.
The FBI, DEA and the Nigerian Embassy in Washington were also reported by the Daily Caller to have declined requests for comment on the pending litigation, while the next joint status report in the FOIA case is expected before the US court in mid-September.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
