President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not expected to face arrest if he travels to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA.
The clarification was made by United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, which has continued to raise questions over allegations concerning Tinubu’s past in the US.
The firm, in a statement posted on its verified X account on Saturday, said there was no plan by American authorities to arrest the Nigerian president during the UNGA.
It, however, claimed that Tinubu could face public embarrassment if he attends the high-level international gathering.
The statement comes as preparations continue for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, where world leaders are expected to gather later this month.
Von Batten-Montague-York also dismissed reports or expectations of a private meeting between Tinubu and United States President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UNGA.
The lobbying firm claimed that the Nigerian president had been seeking a meeting with Trump but insisted that such an engagement would not take place.
It further alleged that members of the Trump administration were aware of the claims surrounding Tinubu and would not support a private meeting between the two leaders.
“There is no plan to arrest Nigerian President Bola Tinubu over his alleged involvement in heroin smuggling if he attends the UN General Assembly this month. Any claim to the contrary is untrue. What is true is that President Tinubu will be embarrassed in New York.
“The FBI claims that Tinubu was part of a criminal organisation that smuggled heroin from Nigeria into the United States during the 1980s and 1990s.
“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 firm tweeted.
The claims have revived a controversy that has followed Tinubu for several years, particularly since his emergence as a major political figure in Nigeria.
The allegations are connected to a 1990s narcotics investigation in Chicago involving individuals associated with Tinubu. The case has repeatedly featured in political and legal debates surrounding the Nigerian president.
US authorities had previously pursued a civil forfeiture case involving about $460,000 connected to Tinubu.
The matter, however, did not result in a criminal conviction against him.
The latest intervention by Von Batten-Montague-York comes amid renewed attention to US records relating to the old investigation.
The firm has been involved in efforts to obtain records held by American law enforcement agencies, including documents associated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
It has argued that questions remain over the nature and status of records relating to the investigation.
The Nigerian government has pushed back against the renewed claims, describing the matter differently from the way the lobbying firm has presented it.
The Presidency has maintained that the current dispute in the US concerns access to government records and should not be presented as proof that Tinubu is facing a criminal prosecution.
The distinction is important because the allegations being circulated by the lobbying firm have not established that Tinubu has been charged with heroin trafficking in the United States.
The issue nevertheless gained fresh political attention as Tinubu’s expected participation at the UNGA approached.
Earlier, Von Batten-Montague-York had warned that the Nigerian president could face an organised publicity campaign during his visit to New York.
The firm had claimed it could seek to publicise the allegations around the UN headquarters if it received the necessary authorisation.
The organisation has also publicly opposed any proposed meeting between Tinubu and Trump.
In August, it reacted to comments attributed to Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, concerning the possibility of Tinubu holding discussions with Trump during the UNGA.
The lobbying firm said it had drawn the attention of officials in the Trump administration to the comments.
Von Batten-Montague-York has been identified in reports as a firm working for Atiku.
The organisation has previously said it is engaging US officials on issues concerning Nigeria, including democratic governance, insecurity and the 2027 elections.
The firm’s activities have attracted criticism from the Tinubu administration, while Atiku has defended questions raised by the organisation concerning the old US records.
The controversy has also intensified in recent days following fresh claims by the lobbying firm about possible US investigations.
On September 1, the organisation said it believed Tinubu could potentially face criminal charges after leaving office if an investigation connected to the old allegations remains active.
The firm acknowledged, however, that the documents it had reviewed did not state that the US government had decided to prosecute the Nigerian president.
The firm has based part of its argument on responses from the FBI and DEA regarding whether an investigation or enforcement proceeding exists.
According to the organisation, the agencies declined to confirm or deny the existence of such proceedings.