Reno Omokri has rejected claims that the FBI released criminal records on Tinubu, saying database entries can contain non-criminal information.
Nigeria’s ambassador and former presidential aide Reno Omokri has pushed back against reports suggesting that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released criminal records concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a federal court in Washington, D.C.
Omokri argued that the reports have created a misleading impression by describing documents associated with Tinubu’s name in FBI databases as “criminal records.”
According to him, the presence of an individual’s name or personal information in an FBI database does not, by itself, establish that the person has committed a crime or that the agency maintains a criminal record against them.
He made the clarification in a statement shared on his social media platforms on Monday while reacting to reports surrounding documents allegedly made available to U.S. District Judge Howell Beryl of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The controversy surrounding the documents has generated renewed discussions about Tinubu’s records in the United States, with political opponents of the President using the development to raise questions about his past.
However, Omokri dismissed the interpretation being given to the documents, accusing some individuals and their associates of deliberately using ambiguous language to mislead members of the public.
“These claims are untrue, and these individuals and their surrogates are using clever semantics to deceive the public,” he said.
Omokri cites personal investigation
Omokri said his position was not based solely on information obtained from social media or political discussions.
He recalled travelling to Chicago, Illinois, between September 18 and 20, 2022, as part of an effort to investigate allegations surrounding Tinubu’s records in the United States.
According to the former presidential aide, the investigation exposed what he described as unfounded allegations concerning the President.
He subsequently maintained that there is no criminal record against Tinubu in the United States, Nigeria or any other jurisdiction.
“President Bola Tinubu has no criminal record in the United States, Nigeria, or anywhere else, and the FBI has not provided any criminal record on the President to anyone because none exists,” Omokri claimed.
His statement comes amid continuing political arguments over documents and information allegedly held by U.S. authorities concerning Tinubu.
FBI databases do not only contain criminal information
Omokri sought to draw a distinction between an FBI database entry and an actual criminal record.
He explained that the FBI maintains extensive information systems that can contain different categories of data relating to people who have interacted with U.S. government processes.
Such information, he said, can involve American citizens, lawful residents and foreign nationals.
The former presidential aide argued that a person’s name appearing in an FBI search should therefore not automatically be presented as evidence of criminal conduct.
He noted that government agencies may conduct background checks on individuals for administrative, immigration, security or other official purposes.
According to him, these processes can result in records being generated even when there is no allegation or finding of criminal activity against the individual concerned.
“Thus, as a US citizen or resident, or even as a foreign national, if your name is run through the FBI databases, it is likely to bring up hundreds of pages of records. This does not mean that the records are criminal. In most cases, they will be benign,” he stated.
Omokri further argued that records generated through such processes may contain personal details that have little or nothing to do with criminal investigations.
He cited biometric and biographical information among the types of personal data that could potentially be included in government records.
Concerns over disclosure of personal information
The former presidential aide also questioned the extent to which information contained in government databases should be made public.
He argued that the political use of sensitive records could raise legitimate privacy concerns, particularly where documents contain personal information that does not establish criminal wrongdoing.
Omokri questioned whether ordinary citizens would want their private biometric, biographical or administrative information publicly circulated simply because their names appeared in a government database.
His argument was that the nature of a document must be properly established before conclusions are drawn from it.
Rather than treating every FBI-related document as evidence of criminality, he said, the public should examine why the information was collected, what the document actually contains and whether it establishes any offence.
Reference to 2003 correspondence
In addressing the specific allegations surrounding Tinubu, Omokri referred to correspondence he said took place between Nigerian authorities and the United States Embassy more than two decades ago.
He said the communication dates back to February 2003, when Tinubu was serving as governor of Lagos State.
According to Omokri, the then Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, wrote to the U.S. Embassy on February 3, 2003, seeking information on whether the FBI had any criminal records concerning Tinubu.
Omokri said the U.S. Embassy responded the following day.
He described the response as providing an “all clear” regarding criminal records involving Tinubu.
The former presidential aide presented the correspondence as part of the basis for his argument that claims suggesting the existence of an FBI criminal record against the President should be treated with caution.
He further linked the 2003 correspondence to what he said he discovered during his trip to Chicago in 2022, where he claimed to have investigated questions surrounding Tinubu’s academic and other records.
Call for independent verification
Omokri also challenged those questioning the authenticity or meaning of the 2003 correspondence to seek clarification directly from the American authorities.
Rather than relying exclusively on political claims or social media commentary, he urged Nigerians with doubts about the document to contact the U.S. Embassy.
He specifically mentioned the embassy offices in Abuja and Lagos as places where clarification could be sought.
The debate has once again placed the issue of foreign records concerning Nigerian political figures under public scrutiny.
At the centre of Omokri’s argument is the distinction between a government database containing information about an individual and a formal criminal record establishing that the person has been accused, charged or convicted of an offence.
While political actors continue to interpret the issue differently, Omokri insists that the description of the documents as Tinubu’s “criminal records” is inaccurate.
He maintained that the public should not draw conclusions about criminal conduct simply because a person’s name appears in records maintained by a U.S. law-enforcement agency.
The claims and counterclaims are likely to remain part of the wider political debate surrounding President Tinubu, particularly as discussions about his past and political career continue to attract attention in Nigeria and abroad.
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