Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has dismissed claims linking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to criminality on the basis of records held by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, insisting that no criminal FBI record exists against the President.
Omokri stated this on Tuesday during an interview with a Director of the City Boy Movement, Otega Ogra at the organisation’s headquarters in Abuja, where he addressed controversies surrounding records held by United States agencies relating to President Tinubu.
“There is no criminal FBI record against President Bola Tinubu. There’s nothing like that. A record is just that, a record; there is a difference between a record and a criminal record,” Omokri said.
He argued that the existence of information relating to an individual in the custody of a law enforcement agency should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that the person committed or was convicted of a crime.
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According to Omokri, a record check conducted following a request by Nigerian authorities returned no criminal arrest record, warrant or wanted status against President Tinubu.
“The result of the check was negative for any criminal arrest records, warrants or wanted status for Bola Tinubu. So, there is no criminal FBI record against the President,” he maintained.
Omokri also rejected suggestions that the current controversy amounted to a fresh criminal case against the President, saying the records being sought through the United States Freedom of Information Act relate to an investigation dating back several decades.
“There is no 2026 case. What happened is that a gentleman filed a Freedom of Information Act request. This is not a new case; it relates to a 1993 investigation,” he said.
Responding to questions about his previous criticism of President Tinubu over some of the same controversies, Omokri said his position changed after conducting his own investigations and examining documents he described as verifiable evidence.
He recalled travelling to Chicago in 2022 to investigate questions surrounding Tinubu’s educational background, saying his findings contradicted some of the claims he had previously believed about the President.
“I went to Chicago State University with a witness who is still a supporter of Atiku Abubakar, and I was given incontrovertible evidence that Tinubu attended the school,” Omokri said.
He further said his examination of documents relating to the civil forfeiture proceedings involving Tinubu caused him to reconsider some of his earlier assertions.
“I was able to get certified true copies of these documents, and they established beyond reasonable doubt that I was wrong. This man was not who I thought he was,” he said.
Omokri maintained that his change of position was driven by evidence rather than political considerations, saying he had publicly defended what he believed to be the facts before his ambassadorial appointment.
“I think that I will defend the truth, whether or not I’m an ambassador or anything. Before the President appointed me, I was defending the truth,” he said.
The Ambassador-designate also raised concerns over demands for the wholesale release of records held by US security and law enforcement agencies, arguing that such files could contain sensitive personal information.
He questioned whether those demanding the release of President Tinubu’s records would be prepared to subject themselves to the same level of disclosure.
“Who here will want that information out?” Omokri asked, arguing that privacy and personal security considerations should also form part of the debate.” Omokri added.
He challenged former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to release any comparable FBI records concerning himself before demanding the release of President Tinubu’s records.
“I’m challenging Peter Obi, who released quite a serious statement yesterday: release your own FBI record,” Omokri said.
He also referred to previous reporting by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, ICIJ, concerning Obi, maintaining that those demanding transparency from the President should be prepared to meet the same standard.
“Once you’ve done that, then you have the moral authority to ask for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release his,” he stated.
When asked whether President Tinubu should release the records being sought, Omokri declined to make a determination, saying the legal implications should be left to the President’s lawyers.
“I would leave that to the lawyers of my principal and our President to decide,” he said.
Omokri further identified political interests as a major factor driving attempts to portray the existence of records held by US agencies as evidence of criminality, insisting that the two should not be conflated.
He maintained that political disagreements should be anchored on verifiable facts rather than allegations, describing himself as “fact-driven” in his assessment of political issues.
“I’m not an emotional person. I’m a fact-driven person, ” he added.
He encouraged Nigerians to become more fact-driven when assessing political claims and the performance of the government.
