Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, has dismissed speculation that President Bola Tinubu or members of his family could be arrested or subjected to movement restrictions in the United States while attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Ibrahim, who is also Chairman of UN Committee on Budget and Administration, said neither the Nigerian mission in New York nor the president had received any notification from the United States government imposing restrictions on Tinubu’s movement during UNGA.
The ambassador made the clarification in a statement by the Office of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, amid growing discussions on social media over the possibility of legal action against the Nigerian leader during his stay in the United States.
Ibrahim based his position on Section 11 of the 1947 Agreement between the United Nations and the United States, which governs arrangements relating to the UN headquarters in New York.
He said the provision protects representatives of UN member states and their families from impediments to transit to and from the UN headquarters district.
According to him, US federal, state and local authorities are required to refrain from imposing restrictions that would interfere with the movement of representatives of member states, their families, UN officials, specialised agencies and persons invited to the headquarters district on official UN business.
The envoy maintained that Tinubu’s attendance at the general assembly came with the protections applicable to representatives of member states participating in official UN activities.
He said there was presently no communication from the US government suggesting that Tinubu’s movement had been curtailed.
The clarification came against the backdrop of renewed speculation surrounding the possibility of Nigerian political figures facing legal scrutiny in the United States.
Ibrahim sought to draw the distinction, recalling an earlier episode involving a former Nigerian president, whom he stressed was not Tinubu.
He said the former president was at one time restricted to a 10-kilometre radius from the UN headquarters in connection with a drug-related allegation, but added that the allegation was never proved.
The ambassador stated that the existence of an allegation could not, by itself, amount to proof of criminality.
He stressed that criminal accusations must be subjected to due process and established beyond reasonable doubt before a person could be convicted.
His comments appeared aimed at countering attempts on social media to transform unproven allegations into assertions of criminal guilt or imminent arrest.
Ibrahim said campaigns seeking to criminalise Tinubu or secure his arrest through social media would ultimately prove futile.
The Nigerian envoy also sought to put the significance of presidential attendance at the general assembly in perspective.
He said participation in the UNGA was ultimately a matter of national priority and countries retained the discretion to determine who would represent them at the high-level gathering.
According to him, more than 60 per cent of the current speaking list comprised vice presidents and foreign ministers speaking on behalf of their respective countries.
The development illustrated that while the general assembly provided an important platform for presidents and heads of government, countries could delegate representation to senior officials where circumstances require.
The UN General Assembly remains one of the most significant annual gatherings of world leaders, providing member states with an opportunity to address international peace and security, economic development, climate change, global governance and other issues of common concern.
For Nigeria, the annual gathering also provides an important diplomatic platform for advancing its foreign-policy priorities, engaging bilateral and multilateral partners, and presenting the country’s position on major global issues.
Ibrahim explained that the existence of legal protections around UN-related movement should not be confused with a blanket prohibition on lawful investigative activity by US authorities.
He said US law-enforcement agencies could invite individuals to provide information or statements in the course of investigations and could collect identifying information, where legally authorised.
Such information, he said, could include personal and family history, educational records and fingerprints, depending on the circumstances of an investigation.
According to the envoy, information gathered in such investigations may be used to establish links among individuals, groups and networks, particularly in cases involving alleged financial and other criminal offences.
He added that investigative information was protected under applicable rules and was not necessarily made public merely because an investigation was ongoing.
The distinction is significant because an invitation to provide information, the opening of an investigation, or the collection of identifying information does not, by itself, establish that an individual has committed a crime.
Ibrahim’s intervention effectively placed Nigeria’s official diplomatic position on the record: there is no known US government notification restricting Tinubu’s movement during UNGA, while the privileges governing representatives of UN member states provide an important legal framework for their transit to and from UN headquarters.
The statement also came at a time the Tinubu administration was seeking to project Nigeria more prominently on the international stage while pursuing economic reforms at home.
Ibrahim urged Nigerians to continue to hold the country’s national flag in high esteem and support what he described as the economic transformation being pursued by the Tinubu administration.
He said Nigerians should distinguish between legitimate scrutiny of public officials and unsubstantiated claims capable of damaging the country’s image abroad.