Dr. Karl Von Batten, leader of Washington-based policy advisory and lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., has claimed that there has been a development regarding efforts to obtain records allegedly connected to President Bola Tinubu and a past US drug-trafficking case.
In a statement posted on his X account, Von Batten alleged that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) was no longer blocking the release of the records and would communicate its position to Judge Howell regarding the disclosure of documents.
He claimed the development represented a change from the position of the DOJ during the administration of former President Joe Biden, adding that his firm would continue engaging with the White House and Congress over the matter.
Von Batten also said his organisation intended to make court documents, DOJ documents and Tinubu’s objections available to the public.
However, the claims should be treated as allegations rather than established facts. The passage provided does not include an official DOJ statement confirming that it has agreed to release the records, nor does it establish that Tinubu committed drug-trafficking offences.
The development, if confirmed by official court or DOJ records, could renew public debate in Nigeria over the long-running controversy surrounding alleged US records involving the Nigerian president.
