By Peace Erewunmi

Paul Ibe, media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that United States President Donald Trump has been made aware of court documents relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s historical legal records in the United States.

In a post on his verified X account, Ibe alleged that a 60-page United States Department of Justice (DOJ) file concerning a decades-old civil forfeiture case involving Tinubu had been brought to Trump’s attention through a Washington-based lobbying firm working for Atiku’s camp. He further claimed that the documents relate to allegations of heroin trafficking investigations and the forfeiture of $460,000.

The lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has separately stated that it has begun distributing the DOJ records to members of the Trump administration, the U.S. Congress and senior congressional staff as part of its engagement on behalf of Atiku Abubakar. According to the firm, its objective is to ensure that the historical court filings are brought to the attention of U.S. policymakers.

However, Ibe did not provide evidence that President Trump had personally reviewed the documents or taken any action. Neither the White House nor the Trump administration has publicly confirmed receiving or acting on the materials, and the Nigerian Presidency had not officially responded to the latest claim at the time of reporting.

The documents referenced relate to a 1993 U.S. civil forfeiture case, which has previously been the subject of legal and political debate in Nigeria. President Tinubu has consistently denied wrongdoing, and no criminal conviction was recorded against him in connection with the matter.