Former presidential aide and Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has disclosed details he says are contained in records held by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Omokri made the disclosure while responding to the ongoing controversy surrounding Tinubu’s FBI records and claims that the documents could establish whether the Nigerian president has a criminal history in the United States.
According to Omokri, the existence of an FBI record does not necessarily mean that the person concerned has committed a crime or possesses a criminal record.
He argued that the FBI maintains records on individuals for different reasons, including background checks associated with visa applications and other official processes.
“There is a difference between FBI records and FBI criminal records,” Omokri said, stressing that having a file with the American law enforcement agency should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of criminal conduct.
The ambassador-designate further claimed that records held by the FBI can contain personal identification information.
Among the information he mentioned were fingerprints, blood group and eye scans.
Omokri also argued that individuals who have undergone certain official processes involving the United States may have records with American government agencies without necessarily being subjects of criminal investigations.
Omokri Defends Tinubu
The former presidential aide maintained that President Tinubu does not have a criminal record in the United States, Nigeria or elsewhere.
He dismissed reports suggesting that the FBI had released criminal records on Tinubu to a US federal court, describing such interpretations as misleading.
Omokri urged Nigerians and members of the media to distinguish between an administrative or background record and a document establishing criminal wrongdoing.
He also said that other Nigerian politicians who have interacted with US institutions could similarly have records maintained by American agencies.
2003 FBI Record
Omokri referred to a 2003 correspondence involving the FBI and the US Embassy in Nigeria concerning Tinubu.
According to reports of his comments, he displayed a document he described as an FBI response transmitted through the US Embassy to then Inspector-General of Police Tafa Balogun.
Omokri said the document followed a request made in February 2003 and contained the outcome of a National Crime Information Center records check concerning Tinubu.
He claimed the check returned negative results for criminal arrest records and warrants.
The document, according to Omokri, also listed Tinubu’s date of birth as March 29, 1952.
FBI Records Attract Political Attention
The controversy over Tinubu’s US records has generated renewed political debate, particularly amid calls for the release of documents relating to the president.
Omokri, however, maintained that the mere existence of records at the FBI should not be presented as proof of criminality.
He said Nigerians should examine the actual contents and context of any documents released rather than relying on descriptions suggesting that the records automatically constitute evidence of wrongdoing.
The debate comes as political figures and commentators continue to scrutinise Tinubu’s background and records ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Omokri has continued to defend the president against claims arising from the FBI records controversy, insisting that the distinction between an FBI record and a criminal record is fundamental to understanding the issue.
