Fani-Kayode challenges US firm to prove Tinubu drug smuggling allegation
Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has challenged a US-based political advisory firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, to produce evidence backing claims that President Bola Tinubu smuggled heroin into the United States in the 1990s. He made the challenge in a statement on his verified X account on Saturday, September 19, 2026. According to Fani-Kayode, the allegation stems from a civil forfeiture complaint filed by the US Department of Justice on July 26, 1993, in the Northern District of Illinois, which targeted property, not a criminal finding against Tinubu personally. He stressed that being investigated without arrest, indictment or conviction does not equate to involvement in drug trafficking, and demanded the firm show where and when the US government or DEA made the specific claim that Tinubu smuggled heroin. The challenge highlights ongoing efforts to defend Tinubu’s reputation amid persistent rumors that resurface during political cycles. For Nigerians assessing political narratives, the episode underscores the need to verify sources before accepting claims about public officials, especially when tied to foreign legal actions. Will you demand concrete proof before sharing such allegations, or will you wait for verifiable evidence from credible sources?