American missionary Alex Barbir has called on US President Donald Trump to release records connected to a decades-old US investigation involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
Barbir warned that continued withholding of the records could make US officials complicit in the deaths of Nigerians, while urging the Trump administration to make the outstanding documents public.
His comments come amid ongoing Freedom of Information Act litigation involving requests for additional records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration and other US agencies relating to the historical investigation.
Barbir referenced a 1990s investigation into a Chicago-area heroin distribution network and a subsequent civil forfeiture case involving funds linked to Tinubu.
“Tinubu is a heroin trafficker who forfeited thousands of dollars to the US government. Concealing his files from the public makes officials complicit in the killing of Nigerians,” he said.
The allegation against Tinubu is a claim made by Barbir and has not been established as fact by a court in the material provided.
The records dispute has renewed public interest in what information US authorities hold regarding the historical investigation and which documents remain undisclosed.
A US lobbying firm has also reportedly circulated historical US Department of Justice documents concerning the matter to members of the Trump administration and Congress.
Barbir argued that Nigerians should have access to information that can legally be released concerning the allegations and the US government’s historical investigation involving Nigeria’s political leadership.
The ongoing FOIA litigation is expected to determine what additional records, if any, US authorities must release.
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