LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Twitter has been agog with documents from the United States Court of the Northern District of Illinois, taking possession of Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s money over his involvement in drug trafficking.
The judgement docketed on 26 July, 1993, and certified by Thomas O. Burton, the clerk of the court, indicted Tinubu for heroin trafficking in the state of Illinois through a proxy organization owned by Adegboyega Mueez Akande and subsequently forfeited the proceeds of the crime to the U.S. government.
The funds, which were held by First Heritage Bank and Citibank in trust for Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), were forfeited to the U.S. government for being proceeds of drug-related offences.
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has now released fresh documents holding Bola Tinubu’s encounter with American authorities over allegations of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
Details from the now-circulated court papers show that Michael J. Shepard, the attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said in 1993 that the court has jurisdiction over the case brought to it by special agent Kevin Moss.
According to the document, the monies held in those forfeited accounts were proceeds from white heroin drug operations operated by Akande and his partners.
Akande had a strong and well-connected narcotics business, whose proceeds were substantial and kept in the forfeited bank accounts, the document shows.
Mr. Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress and former Lagos Governor, has come under intense public ridicule and political onslaught for his role in an early 1990s drug trafficking case in Chicago.
Tinubu has not commented on the narcotics affair, which has made headlines since at least the mid-aughts, preferring instead to discuss other parts of his background in corporate accounting, consultancy and pro-democracy activism.
He, however, informed the electoral office INEC in his application to stand for the election that he had no prior criminal convictions.
The presidential hopeful’s allies have also made efforts to downplay the matter entirely as a trivial distraction to Nigeria’s democratic experience because it happened decades ago in a distant land.
But Nigerians have insisted that the presidential candidate should come clean on his involvement in the case, which saw him forfeit up to $460,000 to the U.S. authorities in 1993.
The 56-page document released by the district court’s headquarters in Chicago did not include crucial new details, but it further confirmed snippets of the matter that had been shared spontaneously by the media for years.
Journalist David Hundeyin also reignited interest in Mr. Tinubu’s drug-dealing background following a 13 July article in West Africa Weekly.
The latest certified copies of the court case, obtained on 10 August, showed Tinubu and two others named K.O. Tinubu and Alhaji Mogati were involved in banking proceeds of illicit drugs and money laundering with Heritage Bank and Citibank.
It was not immediately clear whether or not ‘Alhaji Mogati’ was a misspelling of Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, Tinubu’s foster mother, who passed on in 2013.
A federal judge subsequently dismissed the matter with prejudice on 21 September, 1993, which effectively foreclosed the matter from being litigated again by all parties.
It, however, remained unclear whether or not Nigerian authorities could still bring charges against the ex-Lagos Governor over the same case in Nigerian courts.
Kalu Agu, an Abuja-based lawyer with ties to opposition politics, has been among those seeking to hold the APC Candiate to account over the matter.
He petitioned the EFCC and NDLEA, Nigerian anti-graft and anti-narcotics departments, respectively, to probe Tinubu’s involvement in the drug charges before the presidential elections in February.
In the 8 November petition, Mr. Agu gave both offices seven days to launch action against Mr Tinubu or be compelled through a judicial order of mandamus, a process that involves ordering a public department to perform a public duty.
“It is our view that you have a historic duty to ensure that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is called to account for his deeds in money laundering arising from his involvement in narcotics trafficking,” Kalu said from his think-tank Centre for Reform & Public Accountability in Abuja.
The documents has sparked fresh reactions from Nigerians on social media.
A Twitter commentator, Daniel Regha said: “Tinubu has reportedly been linked to drug trafficking since 2008, he’s also being linked to money laundering & has been inconsistent in his education qualification claims; But still, he’s being allowed to run for presidency cos the c¤rruption in Nig is !nsane. Vote wisely y’all.”
Another tweep, @pastorcharlesc described the report as the worst scandal any presidential candidate has ever had to deal with.
He said: “#America Releases documents Linking The Presidential Candidate of @OfficialAPCNg @officialABAT to alleged money laundering & drug trafficking accusations during his stay in America.
“This is the worst scandal any Presidential Candidate ever had to deal with. Bola, is it true?”
Di-Okpala Anambra tweeted: “According to Bloomberg Tinubu was convicted of Drug trafficking! Bloomberg can not lie about this! “
@royaltyuso, while reacting, said: “It’s no longer news that the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has legitimate questions to answer regarding his history of drug trafficking and laundering of funds. GOD forbid this kind of character rules over the affairs of this great nation, Nigeria.”
@legendkomedian also tweeted: “Let me start by saying God bless America .US finally Released documents Linking APC Presidential Candidate Bola Tinubu to money laundering & drug trafficking during his stay in America. we can’t have a drug addict, drug trafficker and money launderer as CinC GodForbid BATthing”
@jacksonpbn also reacted to the report, writing: “This is Bola Tinubu’s DRUG certificate issued to him by the United States for his involvement in Drug trafficking.
“When you see his shaky shaky hands and his underwear constantly wet with urine, you know why. Say No to DRUG. Say no to Agbado Republic, say no to APC!”
@chijinduejiogor also weighed in, writing: “Most people yet dont understand the import of what the USA did by releasing a certified true copy of Tinubu’s drug trafficking case. The USA is quite aware that Nigeria’s presidential election is next year. They also know the candidates vying for that post.
Think about this…..
“The USA released that piece of evidence to make Nigerians aware of a particular candidate they should know his history. They know that ideally, a man with such a dubious history is not qualified to contest for any political position in a civilized country.
“They have released the evidence and they have sat back and are watching and waiting to see how Nigerians would take action. The eyes of the world is on Nigeria right now to see whether or not they would consciously vote a certified criminal, an ex convict as their president.
“How would the comity of nations perceive Nigeria, if Tinubu ever becomes her number one citizen, knowing full well of his criminal records?
“Travelling to other countries would become more stringent for Nigerians than it already is. Civilized countries would never take us serious.”
Below is an excerpt of the court judgement: