From the blues, a needless but expected controversy greeted the supposed certified judgment document purportedly released by a US Court in Chicago erroneously believed to have indicted the foremost presidential candidate in the country and revered national leader of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in a phantom drug peddling scandal.
Theliberationnews reviews a letter issued by the US Embassy as far back as 2003 exonerating the former Lagos governor from any drug infringement/charges.
The letter dated February 4, 2003, with reference number;
011-234-1-261-0097 ext 244 that passed through the Administrative Secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State, was addressed to the then Inspector General of the Nigerian Police, the late Mr. Tafa Balogun.
It was stated in the letter that “in relation to your letter dated February 3, 2003, reference number SR. 3000/IGPSEC/ABJ/VOL. 24/287, regarding Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a records check of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Crime Information Center (NCIC) was conducted.
“The results of the checks were negative for any criminal arrest records, wants, or warrants for Bola Ahmed Tinubu (DOB 29 March, 1952). For information of your department, NCIC is a centralized information center that maintains the records of every criminal arrest and conviction within the United States and its territories.”
The then IG was further advised that if he had any questions “regarding these matters, please contact me directly at 1-261-0195, ext. 319 or via facsimile at 1-262-0257.”
Personally, Tinubu had also added that he was neither indicted nor convicted of drug trafficking in the United States(US) 30 years ago.
Although, mischief makers have since been making mountain out of a molehill, ever relying on the supposed certified judgment documents of a Chicago District Court concocted, by hook and crook to have ‘indicted’ and ‘convicted’ Tinubu of drug dealings and money laundering in 1993.
The document was scandalously celebrated by mischief makers by saying, without evidence, that Tinubu was a drug baron who entered a plea bargain leading to the forfeiture of his assets to American authorities in 1993.
Tinubu, these town criers, claimed forfeited on October 4,1993, a sum of $460, 000 dollars in his bank account number 263226700 domiciled at First Heritage Bank to the US government.
The judgment was signed by Michael Shepard, a US Attorney and Marsha McClellan, Assistant United States Attorney.
Tinubu in a spirit of openness described the documents as a campaign of calumny.
The former Lagos State governor spoke through the spokesperson of his campaign team, Bayo Onanuga.
In a Facebook post, Onanuga said the claims that Tinubu was a drug baron were erroneous.
He wrote: “The campaign’s media and publicity director, Bayo Onanuga had perused the new document and dismissed it as the same old tale. It is as dead as a dodo.
“One of the unconscionable and wicked lies peddled by political opponents about Tinubu was to paint him erroneously as a drug baron.
“The accusation arose out of an investigation by FBI agent Kevin Moss of Tinubu and Compass Investment and Finance accounts at First Heritage Bank and Citi-Bank in the US.
The FBI never charged Tinubu with any drug offence; the case did not go on trial. Tinubu was never convicted. And he was never barred from entering the US.
“In 2003, when the PDP opponents wanted to use the shuttered allegation to disqualify Tinubu from running for a second term in Lagos, the Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun made an enquiry with the American Consulate on Tinubu’s status.”
Onanuga also recalled that the US consulate “gave Tinubu a clean bill” in response to a request by the Legal Attache, Michael H. Bonner.
The question is: When will traducers of Tinubu come to the discerning reality that he’s going to be the successor of current President Mohammadu Buhari come 2003?
