A Washington, D.C.-based Republican policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., has said allegations concerning Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and alleged heroin trafficking during the 1980s and 1990s warrant the attention of U.S. policymakers.
The firm made its position public in a post on its verified X account on Wednesday, saying it had engaged members of the U.S. Congress and senior congressional staff over a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case relating to the allegations.
“Members of Congress and senior congressional staff returned to Washington today, and we wasted no time,” the firm said.
It added that it had “immediately began reaching out to our friends on Capitol Hill” to brief them on the matter.
According to the firm, the discussions focused on what it described as allegations of heroin trafficking involving Tinubu during the 1980s and 1990s.
“Our message was clear: these allegations are not merely a Nigerian domestic political matter,” it said.
The firm argued that the issue could raise questions for U.S. policymakers concerning national security, law enforcement cooperation, intelligence sharing and counter-narcotics efforts.
It also questioned the implications of the allegations for Nigeria-U.S. relations, particularly as Washington reassesses its strategic partnerships across Africa.
The firm said U.S. policymakers should consider “whether President Tinubu represents a strategic asset or an increasing national-security liability.”
US lobbying firm takes Tinubu’s heroin trafficking allegations to congress