Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has defended President Bola Tinubu amid renewed controversy over decades-old United States records, saying the President has no criminal record and that an FBI record should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of criminality.

Omokri made the remarks in a video posted on Tuesday in response to claims by a Nigerian-born US lobbyist, Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten, who has been pushing for the release of FBI and other US government records related to Tinubu.

The controversy centres on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) proceedings in the United States involving historical records from a 1993 investigation.

Omokri said the investigation was not originally targeted at Tinubu, who was then known as Senator Bola Tinubu, but at other individuals.

He also rejected suggestions that there was a new criminal case against the President in 2026.

“There is no criminal record against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There’s nothing like that,” Omokri said.

He displayed what he described as a letter from the FBI, transmitted through the US Embassy in Nigeria, to the then Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, following a request dated February 3, 2003.

According to Omokri, the document stated that an FBI National Crime Information Centre record check concerning then-Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned negative results for criminal arrest records and warrants.

He said the document also contained Tinubu’s date of birth as March 29, 1952.

Omokri argued that the 2003 record should not be confused with the current FOIA proceedings.

“A bunch of people were saying, well, how can I bring a 2003 letter for a 2026 case? There is no 2026 case. There’s none,” he said.

He explained that the current matter followed a FOIA request filed by Aaron Greenspan, stressing that a FOIA request was not itself a criminal case.

“What happened is that a gentleman by the name of Aaron Greenspan filed a FOIA request. A FOIA request, for those who don’t know, is just Freedom of Information Act,” he said.

According to Omokri, the underlying matter dates back to a 1993 investigation in which Tinubu was not the original target.

“This is a 1993 investigation. The target of the investigation was not President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or Senator Bola Tinubu as he then was. The target was several other people. And then, in the course of the investigation, he was mentioned,” he said.

### ‘FBI record is not criminal record’

Omokri also sought to draw a distinction between having an FBI record and having a criminal record.

He claimed that all the major presidential candidates in the 2027 election have FBI records, but argued that such records do not necessarily indicate criminal conduct.

“All of the candidates in this election have FBI records. All of them,” he said.

“A record is just that, a record. There’s a difference between a record and a criminal record.”

He argued that FBI records could be generated through routine background checks, including processes associated with US visa applications.

“The FBI has a mandate that if anybody applies for an American visa, if anybody applies for background checks in the United States, you have an FBI record,” Omokri said.

He challenged journalists and members of the public to verify his claims rather than relying on political arguments.

“Don’t assume I’m lying. Fact check me,” he said.

Omokri further alleged that one of the presidential candidates had an FBI record exceeding the 399 pages reportedly identified in connection with Tinubu.

He also claimed that the same unnamed candidate had a US Senate committee investigation record.

On Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, Omokri alleged that he had a record with an international agency and referred to what he described as an indictment involving money laundering and tax evasion.

However, he maintained that an indictment, by itself, did not amount to a criminal record.

“Even at that, it is still not a criminal record,” he said.

“So an indictment is an advice to a law enforcement body to prosecute. If they choose to prosecute and then you are convicted, then you have a criminal record.”

Omokri said the distinction was important because, in his view, political actors were using the phrase “FBI record” to create the impression that the individuals concerned had criminal records.

Lobbyist’s claims under scrutiny

The comments come as the presidency and Atiku’s camp continue to trade accusations over the Washington lobbying campaign surrounding Tinubu’s US records.

Presidential aide Sunday Dare has accused Atiku of engaging Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. on a $1.2m, 12-month retainer, based on US Foreign Agents Registration Act filings.

Dare described the Washington campaign as an attempt to present political speculation as classified intelligence and said the lobby firm’s statements did not represent the position of the US Government or President Donald Trump.

He challenged the lobbyists to produce the alleged “highly classified intelligence report”, identify their unnamed sources and provide documentary evidence for their claims.

The lobbying firm has claimed that the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration have 399 pages of records relating to Tinubu and questioned his alleged connection to a reported heroin-trafficking organisation.

The claims followed an FBI court filing in a FOIA case before Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

The FBI has argued that releasing investigative records could expose informants and agents to risks, including possible violence, if their identities or sensitive information became public.

The lobbyists have interpreted the FBI’s position differently, arguing that the filing effectively confirms the existence of sensitive records concerning Tinubu.

They have also highlighted Tinubu’s intervention in the FOIA case, which began in 2023, and alleged that his legal intervention contributed to efforts to prevent the release of some records.

The presidency has rejected the interpretation and maintained that there is no pending criminal case against Tinubu in the United States.

### ‘Check with US Embassy’

Omokri urged Nigerian journalists to independently verify the authenticity and contents of the FBI document he displayed.

He gave what he described as the US Embassy’s consular email address and urged journalists to contact American authorities rather than dismissing his claims.

“Go to the American Embassy. There is no criminal FBI record against the president,” he said.

He also argued that Nigerians should not automatically assume that the existence of an FBI record means the person concerned has committed a crime.

He said the FBI routinely conducts background checks on people dealing with US immigration and other official processes.

“Who here among you journalists has applied for a U.S. visa? Put your hand up… You have an FBI record,” he said.

“You have an FBI record. There’s a difference between an FBI record and an FBI criminal record.”

Omokri’s intervention adds another dimension to the growing dispute over Tinubu’s historical US records, with the 2027 presidential contest increasingly drawing political arguments over FOIA disclosures, foreign lobbying and the interpretation of American law-enforcement records.

He concluded by questioning why the President would not want all the records released, while acknowledging his own support for Tinubu.

“The question then becomes, okay, why does the president not want these records out?” he asked.