A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu could be arrested if he travels to New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Naija News reports that the firm, however, claimed that the Nigerian leader could face public embarrassment during the visit.
Von Batten-Montague-York made the assertions on Saturday in a statement posted on its verified account amid speculation surrounding Tinubu’s expected participation in the UN gathering.
The firm stated, “There is no plan to arrest Nigerian President Bola Tinubu over his alleged involvement in heroin smuggling if he attends the UN General Assembly this month. Any claim to the contrary is untrue.
“What is true is that President Tinubu will be embarrassed in New York.”
Von Batten-Montague-York also repeated its claim that efforts to secure a meeting between Tinubu and United States President Donald Trump would not succeed.
The lobbying firm alleged that neither a White House meeting nor a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly was being planned.
It argued that allegations previously made concerning Tinubu’s past made such an engagement inappropriate.
The company also repeated allegations linking Tinubu to heroin trafficking in the United States several decades ago.
“The FBI claims that Tinubu was part of a criminal organisation that smuggled heroin from Nigeria into the United States during the 1980s and 1990s,” the firm claimed.
The President’s past in the US has previously attracted controversy over a 1993 civil forfeiture case in which he forfeited $460,000 to the American government.
Von Batten-Montague-York said it would continue engaging officials in Washington over its allegations against the Nigerian President.
“We will continue to ensure that the White House and Congress fully understand that Nigerian President Tinubu is an alleged heroin trafficker and a liability to President Trump and the United States,” the firm stated.
