A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has claimed that its leader was offered $3 million to discontinue a campaign seeking the release of historical US records linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The firm made the allegation in a statement published on its verified X account on Wednesday.
According to the organisation, an unnamed, highly placed individual allegedly connected to President Tinubu approached its leader, Dr Von Batten, with the offer and invited him to a confidential meeting in London.
The firm claimed that the proposed payment was intended to persuade Dr Von Batten to abandon its campaign concerning records held by American law-enforcement agencies and allegations associated with Tinubu’s past dealings in the United States.
It said Dr Von Batten rejected the offer and retained copies of the communications exchanged with the individual. He reportedly contacted members of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s campaign within the African Democratic Congress to establish the person’s identity and alleged relationship with the President.
“A few days ago, Dr Von Batten received unsolicited offers of $3 million, along with an invitation to a confidential meeting in London, from a highly placed individual whom we have been informed is connected to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu,” the firm stated.
“We believe these offers were an attempt to persuade Dr Von Batten to end our campaign concerning President Tinubu’s alleged heroin-trafficking records.
“We have a simple message for President Tinubu, Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress and their associates: Thank you for the offer, but no thanks.”
The organisation also alleged that a campaign to discredit Dr Von Batten began shortly after the offer was rejected.
It said the alleged proposal and related communications would be submitted to the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for examination.
At the time of this report, the identity of the person accused of making the offer had not been publicly disclosed. The allegation had also not been independently verified, while the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress had yet to issue a public response.
Legal Battle Over US Records
Von Batten-Montague-York has attracted attention for its efforts to obtain documents held by US law-enforcement agencies concerning investigations dating back to the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The records are the subject of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by American transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking documents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal agencies.
The case has passed through several stages before the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
In August, Judge Beryl Howell directed the relevant authorities to take steps towards resolving questions surrounding the release of the requested records. The FBI subsequently submitted some documents privately to the court for judicial review.
The documents were filed under seal, allowing the judge to determine whether the agency had sufficient legal grounds to withhold them or redact certain information before any public release.
The dispute has renewed public interest in a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding involving approximately $460,000 linked to accounts associated with Tinubu.
However, the proceeding was civil rather than a criminal prosecution and did not amount to a conviction for drug trafficking.
Tinubu and his representatives have consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining that he was never arrested, indicted or convicted of a drug-trafficking offence in the United States.
His lawyers have asked the US court to preserve some redactions and continue withholding information contained in the FBI and DEA records. They argued that the President’s legal rights should be considered when deciding what information may be disclosed.
The FBI has similarly maintained that releasing certain materials could expose sensitive law-enforcement techniques or reveal the identities of people connected to earlier investigations. The court permitted the agency to explain some of its reasons confidentially to Judge Howell.
Firm’s Engagement by Atiku
Von Batten-Montague-York was reportedly engaged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under a 12-month agreement valued at approximately $1.2 million.
Since the engagement began, the firm has repeatedly publicised developments concerning the US records.
In July, it announced that it had started distributing more than 60 pages of US Department of Justice documents to members of the Trump administration, lawmakers and congressional staff. The materials reportedly included court filings, affidavits and documents relating to the historical forfeiture proceedings.
Although the firm has made several claims about the possible significance of the records, those claims have not established that Tinubu committed a criminal offence.
The current US court case principally concerns access to government documents and whether federal agencies have lawful grounds to withhold or redact portions of those records. Similarly, the reported $3 million offer remains an unverified allegation by the lobbying firm.
