Reno Omokri has rejected reports claiming that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released criminal records concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a US federal judge, describing the reports as misleading.
Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and currently Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, made the claim in a post on Monday while addressing renewed reports about records allegedly held by US authorities on the Nigerian president.
He said media reports suggesting that the FBI had released “criminal records” on Tinubu to Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia were based on what he described as a misleading use of terminology.
According to Omokri, the existence of FBI records bearing a person’s name does not automatically mean the person has a criminal record.
He explained that US federal agencies maintain extensive databases containing information on individuals for purposes that may have nothing to do with criminal investigations.
He cited visa and immigration screening as examples, arguing that foreign nationals who apply for US visas may have information processed through US government databases as part of mandatory background checks.
Omokri said such records could include biographical, biometric and other personal information and should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of criminal conduct.
He further claimed that the FBI had previously confirmed that it had no criminal records concerning Tinubu.
According to Omokri, the matter dates back to February 2003, when then-Lagos State Governor Tinubu was involved in political tensions with the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Omokri said then-Inspector-General of Police Tafa Balogun wrote to the US Embassy seeking information about any FBI criminal records involving Tinubu.
He claimed the embassy responded the following day, stating that there were no such criminal records involving the then-governor.
He said the document relating to that correspondence could be independently verified through the US Embassy in Nigeria.
Omokri also referred to his own visit to Chicago in September 2022, when he said he travelled to investigate questions surrounding Tinubu’s academic and other records while Tinubu was preparing to contest the 2023 presidential election.
He maintained that his findings supported his present position that Tinubu has no criminal record in the United States, Nigeria or elsewhere.
Omokri urged Nigerians to distinguish between the existence of government records and evidence of criminal conduct, while asking critics to verify the claims before presenting FBI records as proof of a criminal history.
