{"id":128481,"date":"2026-07-18T16:08:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T15:08:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=128481"},"modified":"2026-07-18T16:08:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T15:08:43","slug":"us-group-seeks-fresh-probe-of-tinubu-drug-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/us-group-seeks-fresh-probe-of-tinubu-drug-case\/","title":{"rendered":"US Group Seeks Fresh Probe of Tinubu Drug Case"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Lizzy Chirkpi<\/strong><\/div>\n
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A United States-based advocacy organisation, the United States-Nigeria Law Group (USNLG), says members of the US Congress have requested publicly available documents relating to the decades-old civil forfeiture case involving President Bola Tinubu and allegations that proceeds of heroin trafficking were deposited into bank accounts allegedly linked to him in Chicago.<\/p>\n

The group made the disclosure in a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday.<\/p>\n

According to the organisation, the request from members of Congress relates to records from the civil forfeiture proceedings initiated by the United States Department of Justice in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n

“This week, we were asked by members of Congress to forward all publicly available documents related to the U.S. Department of Justice civil forfeiture case involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and allegations that proceeds of heroin trafficking were deposited into bank accounts in Chicago that the government alleged were owned or controlled by Mr. Tinubu,” the group said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

USNLG said it was constituting a team that would engage anti-drug organisations and other stakeholders with a view to encouraging relevant US authorities to examine the historical records of the case.<\/p>\n

“We are assembling a team dedicated to working with anti-drug organizations and other stakeholders to encourage appropriate local, state, and federal authorities to review the historical record and determine whether additional inquiries are warranted regarding Mr. Tinubu’s alleged involvement, if any, and the circumstances under which the funds were allegedly received and used,” it stated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The organisation argued that the United States has, in the past, investigated and prosecuted foreign leaders over alleged narcotics-related offences where sufficient evidence existed.<\/p>\n

“The United States has previously investigated, indicted, and prosecuted foreign leaders and senior officials for narcotics-related offenses when supported by sufficient evidence. Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro is one recent example,” the statement added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It further stated that any future investigation should be guided strictly by evidence.<\/p>\n

“If any lawful inquiry uncovers sufficient admissible evidence that President Bola Tinubu knowingly participated in heroin trafficking or related criminal conduct in the United States, we believe he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” the group said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The post tagged several US government institutions and officials, including President Donald Trump, the US Department of State, relevant congressional committees, Nigerian government agencies and international media organisations.<\/p>\n

The statement relates to a long-running controversy over a civil forfeiture case in the United States involving funds held in bank accounts alleged by US authorities to have been linked to Tinubu. The matter has remained a recurring issue in Nigeria’s political discourse for decades.<\/p>\n

President Tinubu has consistently denied any involvement in drug trafficking and has maintained that he was never charged with or convicted of any criminal offence in the United States.<\/p>\n

The issue also featured prominently during legal challenges to the 2023 presidential election. In its judgment affirming Tinubu’s election, the Supreme Court held that there was no evidence that the President had been convicted of any criminal offence in the United States, while Nigerian courts similarly found that the civil forfeiture proceedings did not amount to a criminal conviction.<\/p>\n

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor the United States Department of Justice had publicly responded to the claims made by the US-based group.<\/p>\n

The civil forfeiture case dates back to 1993, when the US government sought the forfeiture of funds in bank accounts allegedly linked to President Tinubu under civil asset forfeiture laws. The proceedings were civil\u2014not criminal\u2014in nature, and no criminal indictment or conviction was entered against him in connection with the matter. Nonetheless, the case has continued to generate political and legal debate in Nigeria, particularly during election cycles.<\/p>\n

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