By Peace Erewunmi

Wole Afolabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and member of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s legal team in the United States, has explained the circumstances surrounding the forfeiture of funds linked to the Nigerian President in the United States.

Afolabi addressed the issue during an interview on Channels Television, where he said the matter arose after American authorities discovered that money had entered a bank account in circumstances they said could not be satisfactorily explained.

According to Afolabi, the development subsequently led to questions about the source of the funds and the commencement of a civil forfeiture proceeding by the United States authorities.

The case has continued to generate public debate following renewed legal efforts in the United States over the release of investigative records relating to President Tinubu.

The records being sought are connected to investigations by United States law-enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as a 1993 civil forfeiture proceeding involving approximately $460,000.

Tinubu has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with the matter.

His legal team has also maintained that the existence of investigative records or a civil forfeiture proceeding should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a criminal conviction.

Afolabi’s explanation comes amid renewed controversy surrounding efforts to obtain additional records from US authorities relating to the President.

Tinubu’s lawyers recently argued before a US federal court that further disclosure of investigative files could affect his privacy interests and that previously released information relating to the forfeiture proceedings did not automatically justify the release of the entire investigative records.

The legal battle centres on requests made under the United States Freedom of Information Act for records held by agencies including the FBI and DEA.

The court is expected to determine the extent to which additional records can be released or withheld under applicable exemptions.

The issue remains a subject of political and public debate in Nigeria, with critics calling for greater transparency while Tinubu’s legal team maintains that the matter should be understood within the context of the US legal proceedings and should not be interpreted as proof of criminal liability.