Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, had dismissed such concerns, saying the Nigerian Mission to the UN had not received any communication from the US government indicating that Tinubu would be arrested or prevented from moving freely during the General Assembly.
Ibrahim said protections available to representatives of UN member states were contained in Section 11 of the 1947 UN-U.S. Agreement, which provides for protection against impediments while travelling to and from the UN headquarters district.
He explained that the provision covers representatives of member states and their families, as well as UN officials, officials of specialised agencies and people invited to the UN headquarters district for official business.
The ambassador also cautioned against treating allegations as established criminal offences, stressing that accusations must be tested through due process.
According to Ibrahim, simply accusing an individual of a crime does not make the person a criminal, adding that anyone making a criminal allegation should be prepared to prove it beyond reasonable doubt.
He said, “where a conviction cannot be secured in a sensitive criminal matter, the consequences could include substantial compensation.”
Ibrahim also dismissed the suggestion that social media campaigns could lead to Tinubu’s arrest in the United States.
He said, “social media cannot criminalise or arrest President Bola Tinubu, no matter how much the opposition invested in it, those efforts will only end as an exercise in futility.”
The dispute is linked to historical allegations concerning Tinubu and a civil forfeiture case in the United States involving about $460,000 connected to him. The matter did not result in a criminal conviction against Tinubu.
Von Batten-Montague-York has nevertheless continued to pursue access to US government records, while making allegations concerning Tinubu’s alleged links to heroin trafficking during the 1980s and 1990s. Those allegations have not resulted in a criminal conviction against the Nigerian president.
The firm has also previously said there was “no plan to arrest Nigerian President Bola Tinubu over his alleged involvement in heroin smuggling if he attends the United Nations General Assembly this month.”
It nevertheless claimed that the Nigerian president could face a publicity campaign and possible embarrassment in New York.
The organisation further stated, “We will continue to ensure that the White House and Congress fully understand that Nigerian President Tinubu is an alleged heroin trafficker and a liability to President Trump and the United States.”
The Nigerian government has rejected the attempt to portray the records dispute as evidence that Tinubu is facing a criminal prosecution in the United States.
The Presidency has maintained that the case before the US court concerns access to government records and does not mean that Tinubu has been charged with heroin trafficking in the United States.
